Edison Students Support Local Veterans Home Through Project

EDISON, NJ – As volunteers at the Menlo Park Veterans Memorial Home in Edison, Aarav Joshi and Soham Chaudhuri of JP Steven High School made many friends there. They spent their time chatting with residents and helping them play bingo.

“When COVID-19 began, we had to stop volunteering. As time passed, we read a lot of articles about how badly the Menlo Park Veterans Home was hit by COVID,” Chaudhuri said.

“Many of the people we knew had died. We wanted to find a way to help, to contribute in any way we could.”

The Menlo Park veterans' home was one of the hardest-hit nursing homes in the state, with many deaths attributed to COVID-19 complications. Since Chaudhuri and Joshi couldn’t volunteer anymore, they started a project last year to give back to veterans living there.

Their website, ReClothers, accepts donations of used clothes, which they trade in for cash at local thrift stores. The money is then donated to the veteran's home. The students also accept Amazon wish-list items.

“We have a form on our website and once members of the community fill it in, we go pick up the clothes from their homes and take it to the thrift store,” said Joshi. “We are also helping them recycle. Most clothes generally go to landfills and negatively affect the environment. This way they are actually used for something useful.”

So far, the students have donated sweatpants, masks, hygiene products, and other general-use items that are on the veterans' home wish list. They’ve also opened three chapters - in Monroe and Piscataway and Victoria, Canada. The chapters are run by local students who donate to organizations of their choice.

Through just the Edison chapter, Chaudhuri and Joshi raised over $2,000 and donated more than 50 Amazon wish-list items.

The duo said their experience in the Boy Scouts inspired them to continue with community service. While they’re busy with their project, they also miss visiting their friends at the veterans' home.

“I used to have conversations with a World War II veteran. I didn’t know he had died until I read about it,” said Chaudhuri. “I used to take him to play bingo. I learned that no matter what you face in life, there’s always so much to give. He loved life.”

“The veterans have inspired us in so many ways. The bonds we created with them help us remain focused and continue to contribute to our community in any way we can,” said Joshi.

To donate clothes, email reclothersco@gmail.com or visit their website.

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