Military Order of the Purple Heart looks to help, expand
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on January 20, 2013 1:50 AM
A new headquarters.
Aid for the county's homeless population.
A taste of home for troops fighting overseas.
All in a day's work.
Touched by what they consider a cause worthy of their support, members of the local chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart committed $250 Saturday to help the Wayne County Veterans and Patriots Coalition send care packages to troops serving in Afghanistan.
But the men didn't stop there.
They also voted to write a check for the same amount to the Community Soup Kitchen -- a place, they said, that serves countless veterans who have fallen on hard times.
Both actions came less than a week after MOPH Commander Carlyle Waters announced that the organization would be offering to build ramps at the homes of veterans who need wheelchair accessibility -- a project that chapter founder Bill Carr characterized as another attempt by the group to bolster its membership and become as visible in the local community as it has been in years past.
These projects, though, are not the only things being undertaken by the men to do just that.
In fact, after years without a "home" of their own, Wayne's Purple Heart recipients voted to secure their own headquarters -- the organization currently meets at the Disabled American Veterans' facility on Patrick Street.
But in order to ensure it can continue making such bold moves, the MOPH is asking for support from the public.
Those interested in more information on the group's latest efforts -- from veterans who would like a ramp installed at their home to local residents who would like to provide additional funding to enable the organization to make additional donations to the care packages project and the Community Soup Kitchen -- are asked to contact Waters at 919-778-8275.