Foundation Christmas lunch for Veterans

We returned to Piquette Square to provide a Christmas meal and some holiday cheer to the resident veterans staying there. Volunteers this time included the executive assistant to our founder and CEO, Maritza Meiring, Maritza’s two children, Chris and Amélie, our digital marketing coordinator Joe Fell Jr., and Daneene Held, the wife of one of our team members.

Things were a bit different from when we were there last a few weeks back for Thanksgiving, due to a rise of COVID-19 cases in the building, but we didn’t let that stop us. Normally, we set up tables throughout the residents’ great room, and everyone eats together. This time, we had the veterans file through stations manned by our volunteers and return to their rooms to enjoy what we’d brought them.

The line’s first stop was a guessing game. We filled a clear water bottle with Skittles, and the closest guess to the exact amount inside would take home a brand-new electric fan for their room. The food came next, courtesy of Zio’s Catering: salad, rigatoni pasta, chicken cutlets, sausage and peppers, roasted potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and cans of soda. Following this, residents were given a holiday gift bag filled with basic toiletries and snacks. The line finished off with dessert.

We’d like to thank everyone who made such an amazing event possible: the staff of Piquette Square, for helping facilitate the meal, our gracious volunteers, for giving up time out of their day, our Team Members, for helping assemble the 150 gift bags and for donating old books, magazines, games, and puzzles, Zio’s Catering for the delicious meal, our owners, Sam and Nada Simon, for their generosity, and most importantly, our veterans, for their selflessness and sacrifice in keeping us safe. We’re already looking forward to returning to Piquette for Easter.