Lynbrook VFW to Gather Supplies for Troops

On Sunday, the will be joining forces with On Sight Support, for a collection drive to gather operating materials and various care package donations.

A group of volunteers including veterans, Lynbrook students, boy scouts, and members of On Sight Support — a non-profit organization that facilitates the collection and delivery of goods and supplies to soldiers serving in combat zones — will be at VFW headquarters, on Merrick Road, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to collect pleasure items such as DVDs, video games, and candy, in addition to more vital ones, like medical supplies and reusable armor.

“First, they’ll go to combat troops deployed,” said Patrick Cardone, VFW commander and member since 1995 after serving in the Gulf War. He is encouraging people to bring specific instructions along with their donations, including the soldier’s name, unit, and Army post office (APO) or fleet post office (FPO) addresses. The delivery will first be selective, as much as instructions received from the public dictates, and then become more general as the contributions become more universal.

“It’s definitely going to go to local residents first," Cardone said. "And then [soldiers from] the surrounding area. And then other guys too."

Cardone said that although the VFW holds these kinds of events regularly, it is the first time they are collaborating with On Sight Support, which was founded by Nick Kester, a coworker at the Port Authority police, who is also a veteran.

Cardone said that in addition to their friendship, he enlisted the help of Kester, whose non-profit solicits specifically Kevlar, quick-clotting bandages, used cell phones, ink cartridges, and care packages, because of his experience and chops.
“He has contacts to get all this stuff out,” Cardone said.

Kester founded On Sight Support in 2005. Since then, his organization has sent 1,757 boxes weighing 50-70 lbs, filled mostly with toiletries and boxed or canned food. Most of the money they raise, he said, goes to postage. He said that most of the work after collection is filling out customs declaration forms and transporting the supplies to the post office.

“As we get stuff in, stuff goes out,” Kester said.

For the sake of troubleshooting, Kester makes sure that if the intended recipients are not reachable, the packages are delivered with instructions to the respective company chaplain.

Kester will bring 75 boxes and liners to assist Lynbrook’s VFW next Sunday.

“Lynbrook has been very kind to us and reached out to us for support,” he said.