Volunteers go door to door thanking veterans for their service in Braintree
BRAINTREE - Several volunteers spent their Saturday knocking on veterans' doors in Braintree to thank them for their service and let them know about new benefits.
House to House for Heroes
The volunteers from House to House for Heroes were able to visit several hundred veterans with informational packets about the new benefits from the HERO Act.
"We're hoping to do every single town in Norfolk County over the next two years," Isabella Erti said.
The idea came from the Norfolk County Sheriff's office which created the project in Quincy last spring.
"This is an opportunity to engage our veterans to hear about their stories a little but also give them the appreciation that they deserve," Norfolk Sheriff Patrick McDermott said.
The volunteers trekked all over town hoping to make a difference for veterans ahead of Veteran's Day on Monday. But the veterans also made a difference in the lives of volunteers by telling them stories from their lives.
"Some places were tough but you know what can you do. No, I enjoyed every minute of it," Air Force veteran George Campbell said.
"My dad came home and told my mother when she was expecting her first child that he had signed up to go into the service in World War II. She was not happy. They gave him six weeks till the baby was born and then he went. And he never regretted it," army daughter Paula Nisula said.
Pride in serving their country
That was the takeaway for many of the volunteers who expected to hear about the struggles of being a veteran but instead heard stories about the pride they took in serving their country.
"One of the coolest things that we had today was somebody had told us that they served on the first-ever nuclear submarine and so he was really happy to talk about that. most of them talked about how honored they were to serve and how they would do it again," volunteer Deidre Keough said.
If you are a veteran and would like to receive a knock on your door please contact your nearest veteran services office.
