Volunteer Spotlight
Why We Love Volunteering with General Needs
Bob Kozlowsky
Bob Kozlowsky, an active community member, serves as the chair of the board of Homes for the Brave, which provides housing for veterans in Connecticut. He met Lonnie and Susan a few years ago at Run Around the Lake. He had no idea what General Needs was about, but felt compelled to introduce himself to Lonnie and Susan.
Ever since then, he’s been extremely active in the community. He states that being able to see how Homes for the Brave and General Needs affects people and the dedication that Lonnie and Susan have shown really inspired him and showed him what it means to truly give your all to a noble cause.
Burim Regjaj
Burim Regjaj, owner of Outta Hand Pizza in Westfield, NJ and volunteer with Rotary Club, has volunteered alongside General Needs for years. He got his start within Rotary Club providing basic accommodations to homeless veterans. Through this initiative he became acquainted with Lonnie and General Needs and became interested in General Needs’ message.
His favorite part of General Needs has been working with Lonnie. From the first time he worked alongside Lonnie, he remarked that the passion that Lonnie brings to his work was inspirational to him and he wanted to continue to contribute to his mission.
Brenda Leigh Johnson
Brenda Leigh Johnson, also New York Governor of Kiwanis International, joined General Needs through her work with Kiwanis International. About a decade ago, when General Needs was starting to become influential throughout the area, she heard a presentation from General Needs at a Kiwanis meeting and said that she was “impressed” with the work that was being done. She knew she believed in the message of General Needs and decided to join.
Through her role as State Governor of New York of Kiwanis International, Brenda and her husband have worked to raise funds and awareness as well as provide supplies for General Needs. Brenda’s work has been essential to us for over a decade and we’re happy to have her as a member of our team. Thank you Brenda!
Judy Emiliano
Judy Emiliano is one of the most active and important volunteers to General Needs, as a former NYPD officer, she was inspired to serve veterans after serving alongside the military on 9/11. She remarked her admiration for how “military persons[s] [don’t] ask ‘who is this?’ [or] ‘do I wanna help them?’ they just do it. This admiration led her to serve homeless veterans with General Needs.
As a volunteer with General Needs, she’s in charge of the storage facility and distribution of materials to veterans. Lately, she’s been working on duffel bags that contain towels, washcloths, toiletries, and many other essentials that will help veterans remain as secure as possible during the winter.
Due to her position within the facility, she remains one of the most behind-the-scenes volunteers with General Needs. Despite her not being as visible as other volunteers, she still makes a significant impact on General Needs and the veterans we serve. Thank you Judy!
Nancy Rocker
Nancy Rocker is a volunteer who collects and donates yarn to General Needs. She is a part of a couple knitting groups that knit blankets. She noticed that a lot of her knitting friends had a lot of extra yarn, so she decided to donate it to General Needs because its members knit beautiful blankets for homeless veterans. She was inspired to donate the yarn after hearing Lonnie speak at a Veterans Day celebration luncheon sponsored by the Sayville Rotary Club. Lonnie spoke about his organization, and Nancy was immediately interested in volunteering.
Her favorite moment came on a rainy night in Huntington, New York where Lonnie organized a group of people to knit clothing for local vets. When Nancy arrived at the event, she was amazed to see a room full of blankets, hats, gloves, and scarves made by the participants. She even showed her knitting friends some pictures that she took at the event. “Seeing the accomplishments of the group of knitters took my breath away. My knitting friends and I were all so thankful to be a part of the donations. We were glad that the yarn went to such a worthy cause.”
June Cardenas
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.”
