Since 1971 national nonprofit Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) has put almost 29 million arts & crafts kits into the hands of patients at VA and military hospitals worldwide. It’s been HHV’s primary mission to provide “medicine that doesn’t come in a bottle” to America’s hospitalized veteran and military population.
And now, with millions of veterans receiving outpatient health care in the private sector, HHV is expanding its reach through two new initiatives. The Patient Home Rehabilitation (PHR) program sends arts & craft kits directly to veterans, and the Community Based Arts and Craft Centers (CBC) program offers veterans a place to go and work on their arts & crafts in a group setting.
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“We wish to reach more patients by offering therapeutic arts & crafts kits to all veteran and military medical patients receiving any kind of health care,” said HHV President & CEO Mike Lynch. “This will open the HHV program to all of the nation’s veterans, regardless of where they presently receive their healthcare. It’s a huge undertaking for HHV but one we are committed to,” Lynch added. One of the first locations to receive a CBC is Berwyn.
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A grand opening celebration took place on September 25 at 6243 West 26th St., Suite B in partnership with the City of Berwyn and the Berwyn Development Corporation. All Berwyn area veterans, military and their families as well as the community were invited to attend. The event offered refreshments and entertainment, and craft kits for veterans and military.
Mayor Robert J. Lovero remarked, “Berwyn takes great pride in honoring our veterans. My father was a marine who served in the Korean War. He showed me the importance of the dedication and efforts that those in military service fulfill on behalf of our freedom. In Berwyn, we will not forget it. We welcome you to the community.”
Additional information on the Help Hospitalized Veterans Grand Opening can be obtained through the BDC by calling (708) 788-8100.
About Help Hospitalized Veterans
Help Hospitalized Veterans’ (HHV) primary mission is to provide armed service and military veteran patients receiving care at US federal, state, and commercial medical or nursing home care facilities with therapeutic arts & crafts kits. For more information visit www.HHV.org or call toll-free 888-567-VETS (8387).
About the Berwyn Development Corporation
The Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC) is a public-private partnership with the City of Berwyn that provides economic development and Chamber of Commerce services to all segments of the Berwyn community. The BDC is a not-for-profit membership organization that serves over 300 business and individual members. The BDC focuses its efforts on those activities that will improve the overall climate for local businesses and residents, in addition to encouraging the development of new commercial venues and employment opportunities. The BDC continually strives to develop new programs, services and events that promote Berwyn businesses and the community. For more information, visit www.berwyn.net or follow the BDC at www.facebook.com/BDCorp and www.twitter.com/bdc_berwyn.
