Veterans
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 12,440 living veterans in Washington County; 21,538 in Westmoreland County; and 63,057 in Allegheny County, PA. Approximately 7.5% of those vets live in poverty, according to usafacts.org.
Denise Stasko has been a part of our church for about 4 years. Two years ago, she and her husband, Ed, started a ministry out of their home to the veterans in the Mon Valley. The idea birthed when Ed was traveling through Hazelwood seeing people standing with a sign saying, “I’m a vet.” He would stop to talk to these individuals, asking a few questions that only a true veteran would be able to answer. He quickly realized that many of these people were imposters. He was burdened to do something to help actual veterans rather than those who were posing as veterans.
The primary thing the Staskos do is collect new socks, gloves, hats, underclothes, blankets, and coats in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day and again for Memorial Day. You may have noticed their collection boxes in various locations throughout Belle Vernon and North Charleroi. They supply clothing items in the winter, and hygiene and household goods as needed throughout the year to these local centers:
Another service they do it to set up flags and luminaries in the veteran’s park in Belle Vernon, as well as maintain the grounds for holidays. They have recently expanded by connecting with the hospice centers in Elizabeth, Uniontown, and Carroll Township. Frequently, Ed will be asked to perform a presentation at veterans’ centers, where he will read a “thank you” to the veterans and present them with a flag, a plaque, and a pin. They are usually very touched by the personal and individual attention given to them.
Ed and Denise are passionate about support for our military and feel there is a lot of community information lacking for veterans. Ed is a member of the Mon Valley Leathernecks, holding the title of Legion Service Officer. He helps people that need to get connected to the VA Hospital and he enjoys answering questions for veterans looking for information about benefits. These members of society deserve to be honored, as those veterans that participated in most of the wars are rapidly hitting advanced ages.
If you have an interest in finding out more about the Stasko’s outreach to veterans, participating in some way, or if you are a veteran who needs more information about the VA, please reach out to the church office. We would love to pass on contact information about Ed & Denise’s service to veterans.
Denise Stasko has been a part of our church for about 4 years. Two years ago, she and her husband, Ed, started a ministry out of their home to the veterans in the Mon Valley. The idea birthed when Ed was traveling through Hazelwood seeing people standing with a sign saying, “I’m a vet.” He would stop to talk to these individuals, asking a few questions that only a true veteran would be able to answer. He quickly realized that many of these people were imposters. He was burdened to do something to help actual veterans rather than those who were posing as veterans.
The primary thing the Staskos do is collect new socks, gloves, hats, underclothes, blankets, and coats in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day and again for Memorial Day. You may have noticed their collection boxes in various locations throughout Belle Vernon and North Charleroi. They supply clothing items in the winter, and hygiene and household goods as needed throughout the year to these local centers:
- Patriot House in Washington
- Vets Leadership Program in the Strip District
- Operation Troop Appreciation in Duquesne
Another service they do it to set up flags and luminaries in the veteran’s park in Belle Vernon, as well as maintain the grounds for holidays. They have recently expanded by connecting with the hospice centers in Elizabeth, Uniontown, and Carroll Township. Frequently, Ed will be asked to perform a presentation at veterans’ centers, where he will read a “thank you” to the veterans and present them with a flag, a plaque, and a pin. They are usually very touched by the personal and individual attention given to them.
Ed and Denise are passionate about support for our military and feel there is a lot of community information lacking for veterans. Ed is a member of the Mon Valley Leathernecks, holding the title of Legion Service Officer. He helps people that need to get connected to the VA Hospital and he enjoys answering questions for veterans looking for information about benefits. These members of society deserve to be honored, as those veterans that participated in most of the wars are rapidly hitting advanced ages.
If you have an interest in finding out more about the Stasko’s outreach to veterans, participating in some way, or if you are a veteran who needs more information about the VA, please reach out to the church office. We would love to pass on contact information about Ed & Denise’s service to veterans.
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