State Senator Scott Bennett says a Valentine’s Day tradition from the past has grown into something even more special. Bennett told Linda Bolton on 1490 WDAN’s News Makers program that at one time, Danville’s VA Illiana Health Care facility had a tradition of children in schools making valentines, and then having them delivered to VA patients. But with COVID restrictions and precautions, the routine now is to have school children make valentines for those in senior citizen homes, delivered by his office.
AUDIO: What we’re trying to do is ask people to make valentines, or drop off valentines. We’ve had some community groups do, you know, a few dozen. They’ll get together and sign some kinds of general valentines. And then they can drop them off at our office, which is there in Danville, right off the elevator on the third floor of the county building. We have a box right there. You don’t even have to see our staff, you can put them right in the box. And we will make sure on Valentine’s Day that we get them to seniors right here in our community.
This can be classrooms, churches, or just individual families making and dropping off the valentines for distribution. Again that’s 201 North Vermilion…third floor of the County Office Building. Another thing Senator Bennett’s office is accepting donations for, is a HYGIENE DRIVE. Senator Bennett says that’s one donation category that’s sometimes forgotten.
391 – Bennett FIVE :29…all the difference.”
AUDIO: We have talked to some of our soup kitchens and facilities for the homeless in Danville. And what they have said is, “Look, what we’re still really short in is hygiene products.” That’s stuff you and I may take for granted; shampoos, soaps, deodorant, those types of things they’re really low on. So (it’s nice) to be able to have some kind of surplus they can hand out. If someone comes in to them and says, “I need help, I just lost my home,” and what have you; to have a package you can give to them, that might make all the difference.
Those hygiene items are being collected through the end of the first week of February, with collection boxes available outside Senator Bennett’s office, on the third floor of the County Office Building at 201 North Vermilion.
