According to Len Proper, executive director of the Military Veterans Resource Center, nearly 150,000 Ohio veterans don't have the resources they need and sometimes go hungry. That is why he and others opened the MVRC to provide assistance to former servicemembers who needed it. Navy veteran Larry Mays approached the center when he needed help with his disability paperwork.
"No one passed any judgment on me," Mays told The Columbus Dispatch. "They understood this was a temporary stop for me until I can get back on my feet. I'd call it five-star treatment, and veterans don't always get that. They wished me Godspeed."
Not only did Mays walk away with completed paperwork, he also left with a week's worth of dry goods, including beans, tuna, ground beef and Girl Scout Cookies. The Franklin County Veterans Service Commission hosts food drives to keep the pantries in stock and provide food supplies for former servicemembers.
The MVRC has provided for 577 local veterans to date, as reported by The Columbus Dispatch.
The center is funded by the AMVET, the VFW and the American Legion and also provides veterans who seek their help with career support, including resume assistance and career planning.