2 organizations give towards veterans’ van service

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Two veterans’ organizations gave a combined $1,500 this morning to a veterans’ van service run by the Joint Veterans Council.

Pictured from left include Warren Marshall, president of the Orleans Veterans Club; Mike Donahue, commander of the VFW Post in Albion; Dave Kusmierczak, president of the Joint Veterans’ Council; and Larry Hughson, board member for the Orleans Veterans Club.

The Orleans Veterans Club gave $1,000 and the VFW donated $500 towards a van replacement.

The organization has five vans, but was out of service and another isn’t reliable, Kusmierczak said. The group is looking to soon acquire a low-mileage used van.

The Joint Veterans Council has been operating the service for 27 years with volunteers taking veterans to medical appointments.

In 2022, 867 veterans were transported by 20 volunteer drivers who logged 4,446 hours.

Marshall said the van service has taken him to four appointments to the VA in Buffalo.

“It’s very helpful to me because I hate to drive to Buffalo,” he said.

Marshall takes himself to the VA in Batavia, but doesn’t like driving in a bigger city.

The VA pays for maintenance, gas and tolls for the service, but the local group needs to buy the vehicles.

“It’s a service that is definitely needed,” Marshall said. “It gets used.”