Helping veterans
Veterans group helps changes vets lives
MALTA, N.Y. >> The Malta Veteran’s Appreciation Program is on a mission.
“Our goal is to change the life of one veteran at a time. We typically find that our veterans don’t ask for help. We have heard too many times, ‘I didn’t know where to go, or ‘I didn’t know where to start looking or who to call’. We founded MVAP to address these issues,” explained founding member Renee Farley.
Farley has assembled a contact database of over 4,000 names to approach for what she refers to as “Calls For Action”. The group has left no stone unturned in the search to make real necessities a reality for local vets. Recent calls to action include providing a computer to help a female vet to use for work, replacing worn front steps and providing a custom wheelchair for other vets.
On Saturday, the group that is dedicated to locating and offering charitable support services to veterans in Malta and the surrounding area gathered at Farley’s home to fill gift bags with holiday goodies to take to local vets’ homes where they serenaded them with Christmas carols.
Jim Fantauzzi of Northeast Fire Protection Systems, Inc. suited up as Santa Claus. He and fellow Malta resident, Jim Hobbs is volunteering for their second year to help brighten the season for veterans the group has located and assisted with a variety of needs. Hobbs served with the Army Air National Guard, in Scotia. “I love helping vets. I drive them to appointments, to shop-whatever they need” he said.
Six members of Farley’s own family serve in the armed forces, and other founding members are veterans serving veterans. Dave Wallingford served as a major in the US Marine Corp, in Vietnam and was twice awarded a purple heart.
Malta Town Councilman Craig Warner, Bryan Haas and Saratoga County Veterans Service Officer Paul Mosseau all joined the caravan of cars that drove to the homes of 17 vets that the group checks in on, as well as to The Guardian House of Saratoga residence for female homeless veterans, and to the Vet’s House, for male veterans, both located in Ballston Spa.
Anyone interested in volunteering with The Malta Veteran’s Appreciation Program can contact any of the members through the website form at https://www. maltavets.com/.