Lawmakers' Secret Santa Program Benefits Vets Home

ROCKY HILL, CT — Lawmakers have rallied to help resident veterans.

Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin/Southington) helped load a van outside the state Capitol with donations from the 15th annual Secret Santa Collection for the Rocky Hill Veterans Home and Hospital.

Aresimowicz was joined by other lawmakers, and Thomas J. Saadi, acting commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs. This year’s collection was dedicated to the late former state Rep. Betty Boukus, who co-founded the event and worked incredibly hard to ensure it became an annual tradition.

“Thank you to everyone for participating in one of our proud traditions at the state Capitol – the annual Secret Santa Collection for veterans at the Rocky Hill Home and Hospital. Every gift to our veterans – no matter how small – is tremendously appreciated. These donations will go a long way in helping our veterans with their clothing and personal care needs. This collection is just one small way during the holidays to thank our men and women in uniform for their service,” said Aresimowicz.

“This tradition is a great way to show veterans our appreciation, and an important reminder of what really matters during the holiday season. It’s not what we get, but what we give back, that counts,” Veterans’ Affairs Committee Vice Chair Liz Linehan (D-Cheshire/Southington/Wallingford) said.

Donations from this year’s Secret Santa Collection, which included clothing and personal items, will be distributed to the nearly 400 homeless veterans at the Rocky Hill facility. Since 1863, the residential facility at the Veterans’ Home and Hospital has offered a place to live and a continuum of rehabilitative services designed to prepare veterans for their return to independent living in the community.

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel