In September, the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program along with American Legion Auxiliary Unit 45 announced the kickoff of the 6th annual Cherokee County “Adopt-A-Vet” program to support elderly, disabled, homeless and financially challenged veterans during the holidays.
“Over the last few years, we have partnered with Kimberly-Clark on our Adopt-A-Vet program, and the company’s employees have supported several struggling veteran families by providing gifts, meals and gift cards,” said Jim Lindenmayer, director of the Cherokee County Homeless Veterans Program and Canton, Ga., American Legion Post 45 service officer.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has significantly impacted the local community and limited in-person events, Lindenmayer and his team had to make some adjustments to this year’s Adopt-A-Vet program, and Kimberly-Clark’s employees were unable to adopt families like they had done in the past.
However, Kimberly-Clark’s Roswell, Ga., chapter of its SALUTE employee resource group for veterans, in addition to Kimberly-Clark’s North America Distribution Group, wanted to find a way to help, so they donated over 730 cases of Kimberly-Clark’s essential products that included Cottonelle® and Scott® toilet paper, Huggies® diapers and Kleenex® facial tissue.
On Dec. 16, the Adopt-A-Vet program staff delivered these products to the 30 families in the program in addition to the GA Alliance to End Homelessness, the Flowering Branch Children’s Shelter, several senior veterans living alone, a veterans shelter in downtown Atlanta, the Cherokee County Foster Home Program, the Bethesda Free Clinic (provides free medical services to our homeless veterans), and the Cherokee Family Violence Center.
“Thank you so much, Kimberly-Clark, for your incredible generosity!” said Lindenmayer. “All of the families in our program have an opportunity to experience a great Christmas, and this would not have been possible without your support!”