Group collecting socks for veterans as part of "Winter Warrior Warmup" drive

Nov. 24—A sock donation drive to benefit Northeast Pennsylvania veterans is underway — the second "Winter Warrior Warmup."

The effort, organized by the Back Mountain nonprofit group Your Dash 365, resulted in 3,500 pairs of socks being donated last year to the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Plains Twp. and the Gino Merli Veterans Center in Scranton.

The drive runs through Dec. 5 and there are five drop-off locations in Luzerne County.

"Every winter we do a sock drive right before the holidays. It's a nice little thing the community gets involved with," said Marian DeAngelis, co-founder and treasurer of Your Dash 365. "One of the most needed items in the nursing homes and homeless shelters is socks. Last year we were looking to do something special to honor our veterans. We did a little research. A need for socks kept coming up."

New, unused socks are being accepted as part of the drive.

Drop off locations include Beynon Beautiful in Dallas, All Mechanical Service in Lehman Twp., Bonner Chevrolet in Kingston, Beekeepers Daughter in Plains Twp. and Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke.

Debbie Beynon, owner of Beynon Beautiful, is using her salon as a drop-off location for the first time this year.

"I saw a photo of last year's donation and it was just incredible," Beynon said.

DeAngelis is a friend and customer, so Beynon was eager to help.

"We have a good network going on at the salon. People reach out and we're always there to help," Beynon said. "Community support is important in my business. We're always on board."

She said she's already collected dozens of socks and $500 in cash she will donate to the organization to buy more socks.

"People have been bringing in socks, customers and people who have just heard we are a drop-off center," Beynon said.

DeAngelis shared letters Your Dash 365 received after last year's sock drive.

"On behalf of the residents of the Gino J. Merli Veterans' Center, we thank you for the recent donation of 400 pairs of socks for our residents. Your donation will make a real and lasting contribution to the comfort of residents now and in the future. Your support for our veterans is greatly appreciated by everyone at the center," wrote James Miller, commandant of the Gino Merli Veterans Center.

Brigadier Gen. Maureen Weigl, deputy adjutant for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, also wrote a letter to Your Dash 365, saying "these heroes truly do deserve our support and your donation has helped so many of these heroes."

Amie O'Malia, chief of voluntary service for the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Twp., also sent the organization a letter.

"On behalf of the veterans and staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your donation of socks for our veterans," O'Malia wrote. "We are so thankful to our donors who enable us to provide these small niceties to our veterans."

DeAngelis said the Your Dash 365 organization was overwhelmed by the appreciation.

"When you donate these socks to these individuals it's a wonderful feeling," DeAngelis said. "They're so happy."

Contact the writer:

bkalinowski@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2055; @cvbobkal

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