(Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series on ways to help Soldiers, veterans, retirees and military families get through difficult times.)
_________________________________________________________
FORT KNOX, Ky. — Having received a record volume of food and other items to help Soldiers, veterans, retirees and their families in 2020, members of the American Red Cross at Fort Knox are getting the word out that the need still remains.
Fort Knox Red Cross Director May Giulitto said Soldiers sometime find themselves in unstable financial situations.
“That’s why we have our Helping Hands and our warehouse,” Giulitto said. “This is to help Soldiers before they get into trouble financially.”
The warehouse, located on Phantom Division Road off of Eisenhower, provides several services that are in need of additional items. The most pressing of these needs on a regular basis is food, according to some.
Yvonne Plough, coordinator at the food pantry, said the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons are typically the times when most of the food donations come in. After the New Year, however, a reverse trend begins to happen.
“Usually during Thanksgiving and Christmas we have large organizations donate a lot of food to us,” said Plough. “During the summertime, when a lot of kids are out of school, we have a lot more clients come in, so that’s when supply and demand don’t meet anymore. That’s when we need to dip into funds and go buy food.”
Giulitto said donations of clothing, furniture and household goods to the Warrior Warehouse are also needed and appreciated throughout the year.
“Disasters happen anytime,” said Giulitto. “You have a fire, for instance, and you lose everything, so we have clothing and furniture, too.”
Giulitto shared one story of a veteran who was moving to the area from Tennessee a few months prior. Shortly after arriving, his home caught fire.
“He lost his entire house; he had nothing,” said Giulitto. “We gave him whatever we had. In fact, we transported it for him because he didn’t have a van. We then helped him with the food from the pantry and then to the pharmacy to transfer all his prescriptions from Fort Campbell to here.”
Part of the Helping Hands program, the Warrior Warehouse focuses efforts toward providing assistance to military members grade E-6 and below on an appointment basis.
"We gear it to them because they are usually the ones in need, but we also provide help to others who are financially challenged," said Giulitto.
Another area where the community can help is with clothing. Mary Lowery, a volunteer at the Red Cross, said she has a deep passion for helping people find quality clothes to wear.
“It’ll be such a pleasure for men and women to come in for clothing where everything is categorized,” said Lowery. “That’s what I love to do. I’m an organizer.”
Lowery said the clothing items that are donated are not cheap. Name brands like Saks Fifth Avenue, Calvin Klein and even Coach can be seen on the racks.
“Anybody who wants to donate nice clothes can leave them at the main office at the Red Cross,” Lowery said. “You drop it off and we bring it here and hang it up, and then wait for the lovely ladies and gents to come in.”
Giulitto said they often work closely with Army Community Service to help those in need who require counseling or assistance in other ways. Whatever the need, they are willing to help.
“We do this because the Red Cross is humanitarian,” said Giulitto. “We feed, we clothe, and we help during a disaster with whatever they need.”
To donate clothing and food items, drop them off at Building 1750, A-Bay and C-Bay, at the back dock. For more information on ways to help, call 502-624-2163 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Social Sharing