Valentine's for Veterans Says Thank You as Part of National Salute to Veterans Week

HUD Jackson, Mississippi PIH members work to complete Valentine Cards for Veterans

In honor of the National Salute to Veterans Week, the Jackson Office of Public Housing (PIH) in coordination with the G.V. Sonny Montgomery V.A. Medical Center (VAMC) visited veterans residing at the hospital on February 14, 2012. The Valentines for Veterans was a two hour event where the PIH Office visited 60 veterans that were receiving treatment at the VA Hospital. Mr. Anthony McIntyre, Public Housing Revitalization Specialist, coordinated the event with Mr. Embra K. Jackson, Volunteer Services Representative at the VA Medical Center.

Mr. McIntyre presented remarks to the veterans thanking them for their service. He told them that the Jackson Office of Public Housing was committed to honoring veterans for their ultimate sacrifice and wanted to bring them some cards and candy on Valentine's Day. The veterans and staff were extremely thrilled to see visitors from an outside agency swing by to say thank you. While the HUD employees continued to visit veterans, they were able to give Valentine cards to some of the family members who were located in waiting rooms, as well as, inside rooms with their veterans.

They also had the opportunity to meet a veteran residing at the hospital that was an engineer, who designed the Jackson Memorial Stadium and visit veterans that were in the Medical Facility's Hospice Unit. The VAMC had recently built this addition to the hospital and our office was able to give cards and candy to eight veterans in this unit. They were very appreciative that someone would visit them and express such kindness. The hospital held a Valentine's Day party for the Veterans and our office decided to donate the rest of the cards and candy to the event. At the end of the program the PIH staff left with a stronger appreciation for the sacrifice of our veterans.

###