Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Nonprofit donates underwear to VA
To date, David’s Drive 831 has donated more than $350,000 worth of undergarments
CALN >> In its eighth annual Underwear Drive, David’s Drive 831 donated more than $50,000 worth of undergarments to veterans at the Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Memorial Day.
David’s Drive is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help improve the quality of life of veterans and to collect clothing and household items for veterans housed at the Coatesville Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center.
David’s Drive 831 honors the memory of David Turner Jr., who had a desire to help veterans at the Coatesville VA in Caln, where he worked. Turner participated in the Air Force Junior ROTC program during his four years at Coatesville Area Senior High School before graduating in 2007.
Respecting his parents’ wishes, Turner waited to enlist in the military. But he didn’t get the chance. Turner died in December 2009 of a suspected heart arrhythmia, and now his legacy is carried on by his parents, David Turner Sr. and Joy Turner, and his sister, Samantha Turner, a 2009 Coatesville graduate.
The cause of David’s Drive 831 originated by a cause that Turner began. When he worked at the Coatesville VA, Turner realized that several veterans needed more underwear and socks than they had in their possession, so Turner gathered donations to give to the veterans.
Due to Turner’s passion of helping veterans, Turner’s family continued his effort after his death. They started collecting clothing for male and female veterans. The clothing items are delivered in a convoy annually to the veterans of the Coatesville VA.
“Thank you Triple Fresh Market for lending us a box truck to deliver all that underwear to the VA,” David Turner Sr. said. “Thank you Modena and Westwood fire companies for the escort to the VA, thank you to the volunteers for helping us move all that underwear, and thank you to the community for donating all that underwear.”
To date, David’s Drive 831 has donated more than $350,000 worth of underwear, socks and T-shirts to hospitalized veterans since it started in June 2010. It began by his family who held a clothing drive in his honor on May 22, 2010, which would have been Turner’s 21st birthday. The Turner family asked attendees to bring a donation of underwear, socks or T-shirts. The clothes collected were donated to the veterans housed in the transitional housing at the Coatesville VA, beginning the clothing drive.
Over the years the Turner family has expanded the project and now they collect household items for veterans moving off the grounds of the VA and into their own residences.
Most recently, David’s Drive 831 sponsored a fishing trip on May 12 for veterans on the Chesapeake Bay. Although the weather was a little gloomy, event organizers said everyone got to reel in fish. A World War II veteran told them, “I’ll remember this trip for years to come.”