From collecting can donations to furnishing apartments, Diane helps Maine veterans start over with the essentials they need to rebuild their lives.
Veterans Day is a time to honor and thank those who served our country. For Diane Nicholson, such gestures of appreciation extend far beyond one day in November. Diane works with a small team of volunteers who help veterans who recently found housing by providing them with donated furniture, clothing, and other supplies. They also regularly bring supplies and food to homeless veterans.
Diane has spent countless hours helping find and deliver furniture to veterans’ new apartments, raising money through spaghetti dinners at local bowling alleys, and redeeming deposits on cans, many, many cans.
“I’m sure it’s in the thousands,” says Diane, with a laugh.
It’s this act of kindness that is most apparent to her Gannett colleagues. Diane is often seen leaving the lunchroom carrying garbage bags brimming with empty soda and juice cans.
“It’s a gold mine after a staff meeting or a party!” she adds.
For the past six years, Diane has worked with the Maine Homeless Veterans Alliance, a small nonprofit founded in 2012 by her brother, Kevin Nicholson, a Navy veteran, and seven fellow veterans, many of whom have since passed away. They created the charity after meeting a troubling number of homeless veterans across Maine.
The group’s mission is to help veterans transition from homelessness into stable housing by providing the necessities needed to start over. Along the way, they want to educate the public about the current homelessness crisis among the veteran community in the state.
Four Walls and a Roof Not Enough
When veterans receive housing assistance and vouchers for small apartments, they often “arrive with little more than the clothes on their backs,” says Diane. That’s where the Alliance steps in.
Through partnerships with local businesses and community donors, volunteers furnish apartments with beds, dressers, tables, lamps, cookware, linens, and other essential items.
It was seeing her brother’s passion for the cause that convinced Diane to join him. She said he has worked tirelessly to furnish apartments, deliver sleeping bags and food to homeless veterans, and track down essential items, including a wheelchair for one veteran.
Relief, Dignity, and a Place to Call Home
Diane says meeting the veterans who benefit from the nonprofit is a rewarding experience and well worth the work.
“You can see the relief on their faces. Their shoulders relax. They’re like, ‘Oh, gosh, this is really mine?’” Diane explains.
Among the many success stories is a young female veteran recovering from substance use challenges who, along with her husband, had been living in a car while working to rebuild their lives. After securing housing, the Alliance helped furnish their apartment and provide the essentials they needed for a fresh start.
Need Continues Beyond Veterans Day
As winter approaches, the need remains significant, says Diane. The organization is currently seeking donations of new tents, sleeping bags, and blankets. Monetary donations are always needed for upkeep, gas and insurance for the van used to deliver items.
Diane hopes Veterans Day serves as a reminder that many veterans continue to face challenges long after their military service ends.
“We all get busy with our own lives and responsibilities,” she explains. “But there are people out there who need a helping hand. Even a small act of kindness can make a huge difference.”
