While John Heywood may have been credited with the phrase ‘many hands make light work,’ it has been co-opted by countless others throughout the years, most notably the Amish.
But the phrase proved to be particularly apt on a recent cold and rainy Saturday morning when many hands turned out to make sandwiches and pack lunches for the homeless.
Joined by State Senator Judy Schwank, about 15 members of Oley American Legion Post 878 laid out bread slices, spread them with mustard and mayonnaise and piled them respectably high with lunchmeat donated by local supermarkets. They then added a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a cup of soup, a bag of pretzels, an apple, a bottle of water and some cookies and, in a half-hour’s time, some 70 lunches had been put together for distribution to the homeless men and women who call the streets of Reading their home.
This monthly ritual is only half-way complete, however, because now it is up Vietnam veteran and homeless advocate Douglas Graybill and his wife, Liz, to deliver the meals, something they have been doing regularly since the Legion group began gathering to make the lunches over a year ago.
Graybill, a well-known figure in the homeless community, tirelessly works to help the downtrodden, many of them former veterans themselves. Asked what motivates him to get up early on a weekend to deliver meals in some of the diciest areas of the city and he will tell you it’s simple: it’s his strong desire to give back.
‘Most of these guys have served their country with honor, and they deserve our help,’ Graybill said. ‘I’m the fortunate one, because I get to see their appreciation for the meals we deliver.’ Wife Liz, also a veteran, agrees. ‘The ones who serve [the meals] are the ones who get to see the appreciation,’ she says. ‘ This is our passion — this is our ministry.’
Lunch organizer and Legion member Bill Lutz credits Graybill with kick-starting the program after speaking out on the subject of homelessness at a Legion meeting early last year. It was then that Lutz and other members of the group decided to work together for a cause they each agreed they felt strongly about.
Lutz says he spends several hours a week visiting local supermarkets and other food retailers in search of donations, and thus far he has received enough donations to cover all the group’s expenses. Lutz said his biggest contributor to date has been retail giant WalMart, a chain with a long history of supporting veteran’s causes, but he has also received generous donations from Giant Food Stores and Shady Maple Restaurant and Farm Market.
It was Lutz who invited Schwank to join the group for the day, and with sleeves rolled up, she jumped right in, working the sandwich line and chatting with Legion members. Schwank, a member of the state Veterans Affairs Committee, said she was not surprised when Lutz came to her office seeking her assistance, because veteran’s issues have always been high on her priority list.
But Schwank was quick to point out that homelessness isn’t just a veteran’s issue, it’s a societal issue, and people need to do what they can to help. ‘It’s really vital,’ Schwank said. She then presented Lutz with a $50 check culled from donations from her office staff.
Legion members Carl Brown, Don Boyer and Dick Warmkessel wrapped up their morning efforts, each saying it was easy to give up a Saturday morning for a worthy cause. Warmkessel summed it best.
‘These are veterans that are down on their luck, and it’s the least I can do to help them get back on their feet.’
Public donations are always gratefully accepted and if you would like to help Oley American Legion Post 878 with their efforts, they can be reached at P.O. Box 200, Oley, PA 19547. Sandwiches are made the second Saturday of each month beginning at 8:30 a.m. The Graybills accept items of donation at their West Lawn home and they can be reached by emailing Doug Graybill at Douglas.Graybill@yahoo.com.
