Community Unites for Veterans at North Charleston Event
The Blankets 4 My Buddies foundation recently hosted its Wrapped in Hope Charleston 9/11 Day of Service at the Old North Charleston Fire Museum. This event marked the organization’s third year holding a 9/11 day of service, and its first time directly partnering with 9/11 Day.
Volunteers at the service packed comfort and care kits for veterans, which included hygiene essentials such as socks, toothbrushes, and combs. Organizers aimed to pack 1,000 of these kits for distribution to veterans in need within the community. In addition to packing, volunteers wrote letters to veterans and heard from Chevalo Wilsondebriano, a retired first responder who survived the collapse of the North Tower on September 11, 2001.
Kristen Wright Matthews, co-founder of the Blankets 4 My Buddies foundation, stated that the event’s purpose was to unite people through service. Matthews and her son, C.J., started the nonprofit after their family experienced a pregnancy loss. The foundation received support for the event through a 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps grant.