The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Culinary thank you
Dominion Energy, Clear Path hold Wednesday Canteens for service members, veterans
CHITTENANGO, N.Y. >> Dominion Energy kicked off its “100 homes for 100 Veterans” project this past November, helping to upgrade and winterize 100 veterans’ homes in the company’s Virginia service area by this Veteran’s Day.
As the company adds to its 21,000 employees, one in five new hires is a veteran. This February, Dominion Energy will support veterans in Central New York when it sponsors Wednesday Canteens for the month of February at Clear Path for Veterans.
Clear Path recently received a grant for $6,000 from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation to cover the cost of providing an estimated 600 meals to veterans during February.
“We are proud to support the Clear Path for Veterans and its canteen lunch program,” said Stan J. Ossowski, manager, gas operations ( N.Y.), Dominion Energy Transmission. “This is a unique opportunity for us to give back to the community and allow us to serve veterans (and their families) after they
“This is a unique opportunity for us to give back to the community and allow us to serve veterans (and their families) after they served to protect our country and to keep us safe.” — Stan J. Ossowski, manager, gas operations (N.Y.), Dominion Energy Transmission
served to protect our country and to keep us safe.”
Wednesday Canteens at Clear Path are modeled after the North Platte, Neb. Canteen, which was set up to feed and provide a place of comfort to all the men headed across the country to fight in World War II. Each week, dozens of Cu- linary Program volunteers prepare a complimentary lunch open to all veterans, active duty, Guard, Reserves and their immediate family regardless of era served or discharge status. This nutritious lunch is served in a welcoming environment to men and women of all service eras.
“We are proud to partner with an organization such as Dominion Energy which takes very seriously its commitment to improving the physical and emotional wellbeing and general sense of self-worth of our Veterans,” said Alex Behm, chief operations officer at Clear Path for Veterans. “Every week we see hundreds of veterans walk through our front door, and at times those Wednesday interactions between veterans are the only socialization they receive for the week. It’s about a nutritious meal as much as it is about sustaining emotional wellness.”