Healthcare Company Salutes Veterans and Families in Need with Donation to the VFW This Holiday Season
Edison-based Dr. Leonard's® provides much needed Bobcat™ scooters, clothing, toys and more to America's local heroes and families
EDISON, N.J., Dec. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the veterans at the Port Monmouth, N.J. VFW celebrated an early Christmas, thanks to the thoughtfulness from a locally based healthcare catalog company. Dr. Leonard's® Healthcare Corp. is a respected mail order supplier of health-related items and other products, many of them for the elderly or physically challenged.
Their pre-Christmas donation came in the form of 131 transport chairs, 12 rollators, 8 scooters and a handful of necessities, such as men's and women's coats, women's nightgowns, bedspreads and curtains along with a variety of toys for young boys and girls. It was Dr. Leonard's® way of giving back, and giving thanks to brave men and women who have selflessly served their country, as well as local families in need.
A Worthy Cause Can Start Small – But End Up Leaving a Big Impression
The process began last year around Thanksgiving when some employees at Dr. Leonard's®, led by Purchasing Manager Karen Gourley and veteran Mike McGlynn, thought it would be nice for Dr. Leonard's® to give back to those who have done so much for our country. What better way to show your appreciation during a time of family and giving thanks then by donating 68 scooters to those who have put their lives on the line at any given moment. With the help of Karen's husband, William, they contacted the VFW Post #2179 in Port Monmouth, N.J., to see if they could use the Bobcat scooters.
The scooters, which Dr. Leonard's® sells online and through its catalogs (for a retail price of $699.99), will provide the veterans with not only mobility, but also a greater degree of independence and dignity.
Patrick Lipka, the Port Monmouth VFW Commander, was extremely enthusiastic and grateful Dr. Leonard's® was thinking of them and from that moment on, the partnership started and has continued to this day. "Dr. Leonard's® is excited to continue the relationship with our heroes, and now friends of the VFW Post #2179 in Port Monmouth," said Gourley.
A few months later, the team at Dr. Leonard's® called Lipka again for another donation idea. A group of employees wanted to donate an interactive "As Seen on TV" toy, CloudPets™, to the military families who have loved ones overseas. What made this donation even more unique was the gift itself. CloudPets are adorable stuffed animals that send and receive messages with a special app that can be used anywhere in the world. The heartfelt message will pop up on the app and once approved, it will be forwarded to the lovable CloudPet for your loved one to hear (for retail information visit www.drleonards.com).
Giving Thanks Goes Above and Beyond
Just recently Dr. Leonard's® was able to give more than just scooters this Christmas season. Kim Arena, Purchasing Coordinator at Dr. Leonard's, spent countless hours organizing the donation of approximately $35,000 worth of merchandise for the veterans at the VFW. "It was important to me, as well as the Company, to make a bigger difference this year in hopes to spread more happiness and pay it forward to those in need," said Arena. Just a few days before Christmas, a truck from the VFW pulled up outside the Dr. Leonard's® Edison warehouse with a smiling Pat and Joe Lipka – to load the 16 pallets of merchandise.
The Bobcat scooters will be used to aid veterans from the Port Monmouth area and then be distributed, as needed, to other VFWs in the surrounding region.
With the additional merchandise this year, the VFW will be partnering with the Menlo Park Veterans Hospital, located in Middlesex County, as well as 180 Turning Lives Around, Inc., a non-profit organization helping those battling domestic and sexual abuse, located in Monmouth County.
Reactions to the Donation
"Dr. Leonard's® is proud to be a donor to the VFW. It provides an opportunity to give back to our veterans, plus families who may be going through a difficult time right now. If we can bring a smile to those who may be suffering and bring a little more happiness to their lives, then we have accomplished what we have set out to do with this program," said Joe Albanese, President and CFO of Dr. Leonard's® Healthcare Corp.
"We couldn't be more grateful. Dr. Leonard's® is going to make a lot of needy families' holiday a lot more blessed," said Commander Pat Lipka.
A Bond Created to Make a Difference for All
The truckload of gifts represented a gesture of goodwill from one organization to another, but it also created a relationship between two groups of people that will continue to grow in the future to hopefully create more smiles to our fellow Americans, as well as bring those in need a little more joy to their lives.
For more information, contact Donna Elliott, 732-225-0100 ext: 276, [email protected].
About Dr. Leonard's® Healthcare Corp.
Since 1980, Dr. Leonard's® Healthcare Corp. has been the leading direct mail marketer of affordable health and personal care products including: dietary supplements, arthritis and pain relievers, and support and mobility aids. Over the years, the company has expanded its product selection to include apparel, footwear and "As Seen On TV" items to better serve its vast customer base. In 2001, the company launched www.DrLeonards.com, a premier shopping destination for customers looking for quality products and unprecedented savings. Dr. Leonard's® Healthcare Corp. also owns Carol Wright Gifts® (www.CarolWrightGifts.com).
About VFW Post #2179
VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) Post #2179 in Port Monmouth, N.J., is the largest VFW post in Monmouth County, N.J. It was established in June 1945 and is also host to American Legion 515. Post #2179 and Ladies Auxiliary is located at One Veterans Lane, Port Monmouth, N.J. To learn more about the Port Monmouth VFW or to make a donation to help veterans, visit www.VFW2179.com.
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SOURCE Dr. Leonard's Healthcare Corp.
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