Thursday, October 1, 2026
On May 16, members of the Freeport-Merrick Rotary and other volunteers participated in a humanitarian effort for homeless Long Island veterans. Approximately 65 volunteers assembled “dignity duffle bags” that provided recipients with several basic necessities.
In the fourth year of the Freeport-Merrick Rotary’s Dignity Duffle Bags event, participants met at 9 a.m. at Freeport High School to put together a total of 150 duffle bags that can go to one person each.
The dignity duffle bags were filled t-shirts, underwear, socks, bath towels, wash cloths, combs, brushes, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and three in one shampoos.
According to New York State data, there are approximately 1,000 homeless veterans across the state. That number is significantly down from where it was less than two decades ago, topping out at nearly 6,000 in 2009. Black veterans represent disproportionate share of homeless veterans according to the State.
“Every veteran deserves more than just our gratitude,” DeRosette Harrison, a Rotary member who helped organize the event, said, quoting the website of General Needs, a veterans charity. “I could not have said it better. The experience (of volunteering for veterans) has been both memorable and life changing. Being invited to the human condition touches the very depths of what drives genuine compassionate care.”
