FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Dozens of volunteers have been joining forces to help veterans and their families during this pandemic.
At Gillette Stadium Monday morning, a different kind of game was going on.
Cars lined the parking lot for an important pick-up.
"We did have to move to a reservation system, so we can be prepared with the boxes because the last day we were handing them out, we had a thousand cars come through and it was just overwhelming, to say the least," explained Donna Spigarolo, Director of Community Relation for the New England Patriots.
It's all part of the Food4Vets program. Volunteers have been putting together non-perishable, healthy meals. Each box will feed two people for two weeks.
“It would be tough because it’s getting rough. I’m on disability and her job shut down and they’re not bringing anybody back,” said William Smith, a veteran from Norton.
Since March 21, the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation, along with The Patriot Foundation and the Revolution Charitable Foundation both started by Robert Kraft, have been handing out boxes of meals. It was only supposed to be for two weeks but when "stay at home" orders extended into May the need for meals increased.
"Three weeks ago, it was marginal. Last week, it became critical and what’s happening now is we’re seeing, especially with our Gold Star families, the supplies that they had in their household ran out so now the panic is starting to set in," stated Don Cox/President, Massachusetts Military Support Foundation.
Monday, marked one million meals prepared and packaged including everything from soups to pasta to fresh milk and vegetables. The Food4Vets program is even serving more than military families. It’s helping local food pantries and homeless shelters from the Cape to Western Mass.
“The need is there. Veterans deserve it. They were there for us. Now it’s time to be there for them, but they’re tough and some of them won’t admit it,” said Steven Xiarhos, Director of Veteran Services, Massachusetts Military Support Foundation.
Aside from what’s going on outside of Gillette Stadium, behind the walls of some of the buildings, pallets of food are being organized and boxed. All donated by local businesses. The Patriots truck is even being loaded up and ready to deliver those boxes of meals to veterans in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire later this week.
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