Getting An Early Start On Veterans Day Volunteering

BOSTON (CBS) -- Veterans Day is right around the corner, but some folks are getting an early start.

Volunteers converged on the New England Center For Homeless Veterans in downtown Boston Friday morning to do painting and maintenance work – saying thank you to those who've served the country.

Kevin Kelly works with Bank of America, which coordinated volunteers. He said he's had to turn people away because of the event's popularity.

"There are at least 50 people we told 'you can't come, we don't have room,'" he told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey. "It's a nice problem to have."

Among those smelling of paint and glue was Patrick Pass, a former New England Patriots player. He loves doing this work and wishes more people would understand that volunteering  can be contagious.

"Hopefully it's a domino effect and it will launch them to get out and do the same thing I'm doing," Pass said.

The center serves about 1,000 veterans a year and provides housing for about 350 every night.

"We want to provide a series of support and a safety net so that no veteran who has served this country finds themselves without a home," center President Andrew McCawley said.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports:

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