Giving back
Afghanistan veteran provides Christmas Eve meals
The holidays are a difficult time of year for Matt McDonell ever since he lost a comrade in Afghanistan on Christmas Eve five years ago.
Each December memories flood back for the Fox Point man: hearing the horrible news, attending a memorial service and participating in the last roll call on Christmas Day.
But this year, McDonell decided to spend the holiday helping fellow veterans, collecting clothing donations and organizing a Christmas Eve luncheon for homeless veterans. And in a way, he’s helping himself heal from his loss.
“The last four, five years Christmas has been a little lackluster for me. This year I decided to do something about it because Christmas is more than gifts and pretty Christmas trees,” said McDonell, 34.
On Sunday, McDonell and a platoon of red T-shirt-clad volunteers served a lunch of mostaccioli, salad, fruit, Italian bread and coffee topped off with heaping
trays of Christmas cookies for dessert at VETS Place Central, a transitional housing location for homeless and disabled veterans on W. Wells St. The meal was donated by the Calderone Club.
Adam Nash, a Navy electronics technician who served during the mid-1970s, was surprised to learn the meal was organized by an Afghanistan veteran.
“I didn’t know anyone was willing to provide our lunch. And then to find out it was an Afghan vet was a shock,” said Nash, as he refilled his coffee cup. “It brings tears to my eyes when people take time out of their day to help us.”
Dennis Lagesse was a paratrooper in the Army 82nd Airborne in the 1970s who lost his job and then his apartment after an injury prevented him from working. He moved to VETS Place Central two months ago.
“This is nice. A lot of these guys don’t have anywhere to go on Christmas Eve,” Lagesse said as he polished off his pasta.
There are 60 male veterans living at VETS Place Central and six female veterans are at another facility, said food service coordinator Denise Spears. Though meals are provided, the special Christmas Eve lunch provided by McDonell and his volunteers was a treat.
“It means so much. They love having company,” said Spears. “It lifts their spirits.”
Among the volunteers at the meal was McDonell’s PTSD dog, a German shepherd named Loki, who greeted
“This is the first time in five years Christmas hasn’t been depressing for me. It’s been nice to focus on this for the last 30 days. I think we’ll be doing this every year.” Matt McDonell
guests and wagged her tail.
McDonell and some of his employees at his Fox Point landscaping and snow removal service, Tactical Lawn & Snow Solutions, helped carry in food and chatted with fellow veterans.
“Matt has had the idea for a month and a half,” said Michael Laubenheimer, who served in the Marines from 2011-’13 and works for McDonell. “This could so easily be us. To take the time to help out in any way possible is awesome.”
McDonell said he knows he’s lucky — he has a loving, supportive family and owns a business. Which is why he wants to give back.
It began last month when McDonell put up flyers in his neighborhood asking for donations of warm clothing and for the Christmas Eve lunch. His neighbors responded by giving nine pickup truckloads of coats, mittens, scarves, footwear and dress suits for veterans to wear to job interviews.
There was so much clothing, McDonell donated some to the Salvation Army, Dryhootch and a VFW post to distribute to those in need.
McDonell, a 2002 Germantown High School graduate, joined the Army in 2011 and was stationed in Germany with the 173rd Airborne Combat Team.
He deployed to Afghanistan’s Logar Province in 2012-’13. On Christmas Eve 2012, Sgt. Enrique Mondragon of Texas was killed by small arms fire.
The next day McDonell and his fellow soldiers honored their buddy in a traditional military memorial service known as the last roll call.
Everyone in the unit’s name was called, answering “here, sergeant” until Mondragon’s name was called three times, each time followed by silence.
“I think because it was Christmas and knowing his family was being told of his death on Christmas Eve had more of an impact on me,” McDonell said.
Within weeks of leaving the Army in November 2015, McDonell returned to the Milwaukee area and started his business, hiring fellow veterans to work in lawn care and snow plowing, jobs that suit people who want to work with their hands outdoors.
McDonell said he might end up hiring veterans who need jobs through VETS Place Central where he was spending part of his Christmas Eve.
“This is the first time in five years Christmas hasn’t been depressing for me. It’s been nice to focus on this for the last 30 days,” said McDonell. “I think we’ll be doing this every year.”