Presbyterian Men, businesses collect donations for veterans
For the first time since 2019, the First Presbyterian Church men’s group will be putting on Help Homeless Veterans Week in Franklin to help Macon County’s retired service members.
Help Homeless Veterans Week started in 2014 and was a mainstay at the end of every summer in Franklin for five years. In 2020, the church group took a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year, they’re restarting the program in conjunction with 72 local businesses. Organizer Ned Kraft said the group collects donations for area veterans throughout the year, but Help Homeless Veterans Week is one of the most important pushes of the year.
“We’ve raised over $34,000 to date,” Kraft said of the group’s activities. “In 2019, we raised $1,200 in just that one week.”
During Help Homeless Veterans Week, you may notice some local shops have a sign in their windows depicting a resolution from Franklin’s Town Council recognizing the effort. Those businesses have donation jars at their front counters where customers are encouraged to spare what they can to help homeless veterans. Some of these businesses collect upwards of $100 over the course of the week, and with dozens of them participating, small donations add up quickly.
“We’re very thankful for all of our veterans,” said Sunset Restaurant owner Renee McCall, one of 2019’s top fundraisers for the week. “I want to do my part for them because they’ve already done their part for me.”
The money they raise will go to the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Mission, which provides homeless veterans not only with halfway housing but with career counseling and other resources to create more permanent solutions to their situations. Kraft says that 97 cents of every dollar donated to ABCCM is put towards the veterans and that donations from Franklin will be directed primarily towards offering services to veterans in Macon County. Statistics suggest that veterans are much more likely to experience homelessness than the general public, so many Franklin officials feel it’s important to take initiative in alleviating the problem in their hometown, including veteran Mayor Bob Scott.
“Veterans can sometimes get the short end of the stick, so I’m glad that these guys are doing something about it,” Scott said. “It’s definitely something that’s needed.”
Kraft is relieved to have an opportunity to get the tradition back on track and hopes that Macon County residents will keep homeless veterans in their hearts when they hit the shops next week.
“We have no clue how many donations we’ll see this year since everyone has their own problems that they’re dealing with right now, but we hope they’ll be generous,” Kraft said.
Help Homeless Veterans Week will run from Sunday, Sept. 5 through Saturday, Sept. 11.