June is a member of the Ronkonkoma Rotary and has been a volunteer for General Needs for the past three years. She decided to volunteer for General Needs after hearing Lonnie and Susan speak at one of the Ronkonkoma Rotary meetings. “I was so touched and taken back by their sincerity. They spoke so well and with such compassion… General Needs’ motto is ‘Serving Veterans with Dignity,’ which is exactly what they are doing. Her volunteer work involves unpacking and delivering brand new sneakers to the vets every Wednesday. She also regularly goes to the General Needs warehouse, where she helps sort out all of the clothes and supplies that are going to be given to the vets.
June’s favorite memory when volunteering comes from the first time she delivered Christmas packages to the vets. After handing out the packages to the vets, one vet in particular looked at her with tears in his eyes and said, “This is the first Christmas present that I have received in so many years. Do I deserve this?” Seeing the smile on the veteran’s face made the experience so special to June.
One of the reasons why General Needs means so much to June is because it has grown so much since its inception. Lonnie donated only socks, underwear, and t-shirts in the beginning stages of the organization. However, he saw the need to help our veterans even more, and he found companies that would donate winter coats, snow boots and sneakers. “General Needs is one of the most marvelous and compassionate organizations that I have either heard of or been involved with. It is what he and his wife do to make the world so much better and to thank our veterans properly.”
