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Transition House Counselor Larry Henry Accepts Donations from the Joshua Stevens Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. PHOTO/TERRY LLOYD
Ladies from the Joshua Stevens Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), were at the St. Cloud Transition House on Saturday to donate bicycles, clothing, and personal items to individuals in the Veterans Program there.
“Our clients will use these bikes not only to get to their jobs in the area but for recreational use, such as going to the lakefront,” said Larry Henry, a Transition House counselor who was on hand to accept the donations.
Officers from the DAR making the donations were Chapter Regent Kim Tennison, Lisa Heard, Veterans Service chairperson and an Army veteran, and Sandra Vogelpohl, Chapter Historian. A total of five bicycles were donated, including four refurbished by Cesar Fuertes of Evolution Cycles of St. Cloud, who also donated a new bike.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and the world.
“Our chapter could not think of a better way to focus our holiday giving efforts than to help veterans,” said Tennison.
Located on a quiet section of west 5th Street in St. Cloud, the Transition House Veterans Program, established in 2012, assists previously incarcerated military veterans by developing an individual behavioral health treatment plan for substance abuse and mental health. The goal is for these veterans to achieve independence through employment and finding permanent housing.
The program reports a very high success rate, partly due to the case management phase of the program where program participants can reach back to the staff if they encounter some difficulties after starting out on their own.
“There is also an ‘alumni’ group of successful program graduates who regularly come back to speak with veterans going through the program,” said Henry.
If you are interested in learning more about Joshua Stevens NSDAR membership, visit Facebook@JoshuaStevensNSDAR, Instagram @joshuastevensnsdar, or email joshuastevensnsdar@gmail.com.
For more information on the Transition House’s Veterans Program, see https://bit.ly/3RywgeI
