DAR Christmas for Veterans

The Colonel Thomas Lothrop Old Colony Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met on Veterans Day at the home of Barbara Dillon for the Christmas for Veterans Program. The DAR Chapter members collected and contributed clothing, supplies, books, toiletry items, playing cards and various sundry items given as gifts to the Brockton Veterans Affairs Hospital patients. DAR Members composed 75 gift bags and wrapped Christmas presents which were delivered to the Brockton Campus of VA Boston Healthcare System.

The VA Boston Brockton Campus offers Veterans a wide range of healthcare options including short-term rehabilitation, medical care, palliative and hospice care, long-term care, a chronic Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) unit, mental health services, comprehensive primary care, and a Domiciliary for Homeless Veterans. Also available at the Brockton Campus is an inpatient psychiatric unit for women, and a residential rehabilitative unit for women suffering from both PTSD and substance abuse. These units, in conjunction with the outpatient Women’s Health Center, offer women Veterans a complete spectrum of healthcare services. Both the Homeless Veterans program and the Women’s Program are regional referral centers for Veterans throughout New England. The Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Unit offers specialized programs and respite care for Veterans with spinal cord injuries and disabilities. The Community Living Center (CLC) similarly offers respite care programs to Veterans throughout New England. For more information on donations to the Brockton Campus of VA Boston please visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs website link: www.boston.va.gov/locations/Brockton_Campus.asp

Many thanks to all the members that contributed to the gift bags this year. Special thanks to the Hingham Public Library for donations of new paperback books to our Veterans. The Colonel Thomas Lothrop Old Colony Chapter of the DAR has held the Christmas for Veterans Program for many years, hosted by the gracious Barbara Dillon, and is honored to work with VA Boston Healthcare System. For more information regarding the Colonel Thomas Lothrop Old Colony Chapter of the DAR please visit www.dar.org or the chapter website www.massdar.org/colonelthomaslothropoldcolonychapter.html.