The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

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  • Logan Calfee, 12, hands his father, Dan Calfee, owner of Calfee Funeral Home, one of the over 100 sweaters they have collected for the “Sweaters for Veterans” program. F. Brian Ferguson

    sweater
November 9, 2012

Calfee Funeral Home expands its service projects

Sweaters for Veterans

By Wendy Holdren Register-Herald Reporter

In addition to Stockings for Soldiers and Cell Phones for Soldiers, Calfee Funeral Home is now participating in Sweaters for Veterans, a program that helps provide new or gently used sweaters and gloves to the men and women who served our country.

“We collect the sweaters, take them to the VA Hospital and they will distribute them to veterans in the area,” Dan Calfee said.

New or gently used sweaters and gloves can be brought to Calfee Funeral Home at 800 S. Oakwood Ave. in Beckley through Monday, Nov. 12.

“Anything we can do to help the veterans who help us is a great cause,” Calfee said. “That’s why we became involved in it.”

Stockings for Soldiers will be collected through Nov. 30. Stockings are available at Calfee, along with a suggested list of items to fill them with. Once the stockings are brought back to Calfee, they will be sent overseas to the soldiers.

Calfee said they are also always collecting cell phones for the Cell Phones for Soldiers project.

The project gathers cell phones and sells them to recycling firms, then uses that money to buy calling cards for soldiers overseas.

Calfee said for each cell phone donated, a 60-minute calling card will be provided to a soldier.

Just at Calfee Funeral Home alone, over 25,000 minutes have been sent to the troops to call home with.

Susan Landis, executive director of the Beckley Area Foundation, said these projects have been part of an effort called “Everyone Can Be a Philanthropist.”

For the past three years, the Beckley Area Foundation has promoted projects to show the community that everyone can do their part.

“It’s just an effort to show the community that in some fashion, everyone can be a philanthropist. Whether it’s helping a neighbor, a friend or someone from the area serving in the military, small things can make a large impact.”

Landis said many people think that they need to make a large contribution to make a difference, but every gift matters, no matter how large or how small.

“It’s a way we can all do our part.”

Jon Calfee, of Calfee Funeral Home, is the treasurer of the board of directors for Beckley Area Foundation, so he decided to bring these community projects to his business.

For more information, call Calfee at 304-253-8381.

— E-mail: wholdren@register-herald.com

 

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