Veterans Day is Monday, but the Township of Verona is running a donation drive for the Verona-based veterans charity Backpacks For Life for the entire month of November.
Backpacks For Life is a 501(C)(3) veteran nonprofit organization that provides a unique and personalized support system to homeless and at-risk veterans and their families that effectively bridges the gap between veterans and the resources available to them.
Collection bins will be located at Verona Town Hall, 600 Bloomfield Avenue, and at the Verona Community Center, 880 Bloomfield Avenue.
There are two separate lists of items that are needed. For all veterans, Backpacks for Life is seeking microfiber towels, hand and foot warmers, gloves, hats, notebooks and pens. Backpacks for Life is also looking for certain items for female veterans: feminine hygiene products, hair ties, face moisturizer, makeup remover wipes, cosmetic bags, lipgloss and haircare products.
Please donate full-size, good quality items. If you would not use the item, neither would a veteran. We want the best for our veterans!
Monetary donations are also accepted. For $40, you can sponsor one toiletry kit. For $120 you can sponsor six months of supplies for a veteran. For $200, you can sponsor a fully stocked backpack and for $1,000, you can sponsor six months of storage facility costs. You can make your donation online at www.backpacksforlife.org/donate or through Venmo, or mail a check payable to Backpacks For Life to its office: Backpacks For Life, Inc. 55 Sunset Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044.
Since its founding, Backpacks for Life has distributed 7,058 backpacks in 19 states. It has also helped to refurbish veterans’ homes, provided suits and resume help for job interviews, distributed newborn supplies and care and school supplies for veterans’ children, offered transportation to appointments, and more.
To learn more about Backpacks For Life visit www.backpacksforlife.org or email at info(at)backpacksforlife(dot)org.
