Neighbor News
Plainview Boy's Mission to Help Homeless Vets
A local Long Island boy recognizes a growing problem on Long Island and vows to help.
PLAINVIEW - A young man from Plainview has singlehandedly taken on the crippling crisis that faces homeless veterans here on Long Island.
While researching ideas for his Mitzvah Project for Hebrew School, 12-year-old Aidan Davis came across a trailer for a documentary called “Battlefield of the Mind” on YouTube that addresses the tragic circumstances surrounding homeless veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He decided right then that he needed to help these brave men and women returning from war.
News 12 Long Island recently featured Aidan on a special broadcast called “Aidan’s Gift” where he talks about why he wanted to help homeless veterans.
Find out what's happening in Plainviewfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"These people have risked their lives on the battlefield and they've seen atrocities," Aidan said. "Some of them come back with substance abuse problems. Some of them can't assimilate into normal society after what they've seen."
Aidan mailed letters to family and friends asking for their help, explaining that these forgotten heroes risked their lives to ensure our everyday freedoms and they desperately needed help. He asked for donations of gift cards to restaurants, pharmacies, clothing stores – to places where a homeless vet could get a meal, a hot cup of coffee, toiletries – anything to help ease their daily burden.
Find out what's happening in Plainviewfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
His plea was so compelling that it inspired an army of supporters to join him on his quest. People in the community and beyond responded in an enormous way and sent Aidan hundreds of gift cards in the mail. To date, he has collected $3,500 in gift cards and online donations for United Veteran’s Beacon House in Bayshore. United Veteran’s Beacon House provides support services to veterans including housing, education, job placement programs, personal development and mental health counseling.
After receiving a handwritten commendation from Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY3), Aidan was further inspired and continues his efforts to help homeless vets by raising money on a GoFundMe page with proceeds benefiting Beacon House.
To join Aidan’s cause, you can visit his Go Fund Me page:
Watch “Aidan’s Gift” on News 12 Long Island:
