After months of work and planning, Jezreel International will be opening the doors Saturday, Nov. 15, of its Veterans Miracle Center, a store created solely to supply veterans with free basic needs items, from clothing to furniture.
Jezreel International, a faith-based, not-for-profit humanitarian aid organization, began work on the Miracle Center 10 months ago, when the organization held an event to honor veterans.
“This got birthed from that event,” said executive director Barry Feinman. “I always wanted to do something for veterans, but didn’t know what to do, so I got together with some veteran organizations and created the Veterans Appreciation Day.”
Feinman said about 80 to 85 veterans attended the event, which included a ceremony for prisoners of war and missing soldiers. Merchandise, donated by stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Rite Aid and BJ’s Wholesale, was laid out on tables.
“We gave each veteran a little shopping cart. They got toys, little items for their kids. They got all different kinds of Christmas gift items,” said Feinman.
Two local restaurants donated chicken Parmesan and pasta for lunch.
“Of 18 years doing this, this was the highlight of everything,” Feinman said. “After this was over, we realized a one-day event is nice, but they need something ongoing. So that birthed the store.”
The store holds items like lotions, shampoos and products for personal hygiene. Veterans can find coats, shoes and other clothing items, as well as kitchen products, tool kits, purses and medical supplies. All of the products are free for veterans.
“How the center works is that they have to be vetted, so we partnered with agencies where they’re going to vet the vet to make sure they are a true veteran. Those agencies will issue a voucher, give a needs list to the vet, and it’s up to the vet to complete that. The agency will send that over to us and schedule a time for the vet to come in and pick up the items they need,” said Melody Burns, who helped coordinate the opening.
The Miracle Center will also have space in the back where veterans can meet with counselors if needed, and a chair lift was installed to make sure the store was handicap accessible. The center also has a kitchen for veterans to have coffee and something to eat.
“It’s like a regular store in a shopping center. Everything in here is free. The open house is on Saturday, so [vets] can see this first hand. As far as we know, no one has ever done anything like this. It’s the first one in the country,” Feinman said.
Jezreel International has been around since 1996, beginning as a small organization that grew to provide aid to victims of the earthquake in Haiti and hurricanes Irene and Sandy. With seven full-time employees and volunteers, they sort through merchandise that cannot be sold in chain stores.
“We want to make sure they get the best. We make sure there are no stains, no smells,” said Feinman.
Many of the items are unable to be sold due to tears and marks on the packaging.
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” said Feinman. “It’s just that they can’t sell it like this.”
Items are then shipped overseas, or trucked to local shelters and to families that are still feeling the effects of the hurricanes.
Now, these donated items for daily necessities will be made available to veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families in the Miracle Center. Saturday’s open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10 Interstate Ave. in Albany.
