Passion For U.S. Military & Families Drives Colorado Volunteers To Fill Mayflower Truck With Essentials
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) – On Sunday morning, in an Aurora Safeway parking lot just off Buckley Road, volunteers worked hard to fill a large Mayflower truck with food, clothing, diapers, and other essential supplies. With each box of goods they collect, crucial needs are met for Buckley Air Force Base families.
Linda Olson, Director of Homefront Heroes, is behind the effort.
"It just behooves us to support these families. I always ask them if this is actually making a difference. They say, 'Oh, absolutely!'"
Homefront Heroes partnered with Project Angel Heart years ago to help soldiers and their spouses who are struggling with only one source of income.
"Especially with the pandemic, it's a situation where for the non-military spouse, it's hard to get a job in the private sector."
She's passionate about helping because she knows what it feels like first-hand to help bolster her own military heroes.
"My late husband was a Vietnam vet, and he never was particularly wealthy. Both of us had a heart for the military. My son's a marine, and he was in Iraq twice, Afghanistan once. My dad was in Korea," she told CBS4's Mekialaya White.
Her husband, William, passed away two years ago. Since then, he's been the driving force behind her work.
"He was my best friend, and we've done it in memory of him."
To this day, William's memory is making up every minute of her mission to help others.
"It is a mission for me. Might be a job for others, but it's a mission for me," she said.
If you'd like to help, contact Linda: LindaO@InnerCityHealth.org.