Volunteer groups help serve veterans at Reading site

Feb. 27—Charles Johnson sat patiently on his mobility scooter, his hood pulled tightly around his head to protect from the chilly mist falling Saturday morning.

"Is this all going to fit?" Lauren Yerger, a 16-year-old sophomore at Berks Catholic High School asked as she brought bag after bag of food to him. "I don't want it to fall."

"Yeah, just stack it up," the appreciative 65-year-old veteran said.

Although he wore a black face mask, it was clear Johnson was smiling as he backed up his scooter and headed off with his haul. Yerger was smiling behind her mask, too.

"It definitely feels good to give back, because they've already given so much," she said.

Yerger was one of several volunteers who headed out to the Paul R. Gordon Veteran Social Center on Saturday morning outside Hope Rescue Mission to help out with Veterans Making a Difference's monthly food distribution. She was there with Berks Catholic's Interact Club, which is sponsored by the Spring Township Rotary Club.

Despite the dreary weather, she and her classmates were happy to be there.

"It's a good service project. It's a good cause," Yerger said.

Yerger and her classmates helped pack bags of food — cans and boxes and frozen items — to hand out to the veterans who lined up outside the social center. Bryleigh Reddy, 15, a sophomore, said she was touched by their reaction.

"They're all very grateful," she said. "And it's like the least we can do. It's how we can show we're grateful for everything they have done."

A group from Beer, Brats and Bible, a men's group made up of members of about a half dozen local churches, was also on hand Saturday. They were handing out hot breakfast sandwiches.

While they were happy to do it, they said they prefer their pre-pandemic tradition of hosting a pancake breakfast inside the social center.

"You get more of a feeling about it when we're inside," said Bill Jaeger of Exeter Township. "You get to sit down with the guys, listen to their stories."

"I'm a veteran, too," Craig Seidel of Birdsboro, added. "Some of these guys ate the same dirt as me."

But despite COVID-19 throwing a wrench in their preferred plans, the BBB group were making the best of the situation. They say they enjoy taking part in their food ministry, something that they do at many locations across the region year-round.

"Christ tells us to feed the hungry," Seidel said.

Along with pantry items and the hot breakfast sandwiches, veterans were also offered to-go sandwiches prepared by the Oley American Legion.

Doug Graybill, who founded Veterans Making a Difference with his wife, Liz, said Saturday's event was part of the group's ongoing mission to meet the needs of veterans.

Graybill said the group holds a food giveaway on the last Saturday of each month, but also makes deliveries and hosts other events.

"We give out over 3,000 pounds a months," he said. "If we have it, I don't like hanging onto it."