Editor’s note: Tom Drapeau, president of Freedom Pest Control, Merrimac, Mass., reflects on this year’s PestVets Day of Service that took place in Boston, host city of NPMA PestWorld 2022.
For the past few years at PestWorld, the annual industry meeting hosted by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), part of the final day is dedicated to service projects. This year, NPMA’s PestVets Council chose the New England Center and Home for Veterans (NECHV) as a group to support. The project was called ‘Supporting Veterans for a DAY, a MONTH, and a DECADE’. This Day of Service was the largest ever for PestVets, with over 50 Veterans, family members, and friends of PestVets participating.
The DAY portion consisted of manning the chow line at NECHV and serving lunch to approximately 130 Veterans and staff. This gave us the rich opportunity to spend time with the Veterans, sit and talk with them, clear their dishes, and get to know them just a bit. Our entire PestVets team participated, either serving meals or simply cleaning up afterward. The whole evolution was extremely rewarding for all participants and I can safely say that I have never had so much fun washing dishes. It reminded me of my boot camp days!
While we were washing dishes, a member of our team recognized one of the Veterans who was living at the home and helping us in the kitchen. They had served together at Camp Pendleton almost 30 years ago.
I asked Dave Ramsey about the chance encounter. “I served with Martin in 1991 and 1992. We worked at a medical supply deployment warehouse; he was in the Navy and I was in the Marines. We played basketball and volleyball during lunch. He was memorable to me as he has a distinct walk and was a jokester, always making everyone laugh.
Since my honorable discharge in 1994, I have not reconnected with any of those I served alongside. It was a time of war and conflict that I don’t want to relive and I was concerned as to what we would talk about. Seeing Martin after all these years has sparked that interest to connect with others. I told him that the next time I am in Boston, I would take him to lunch, Because I said I Would”.
This whole episode reminded all of us why giving back is so important, as it could have been any of us needing support and a place to live.
The MONTH portion of our project was to provide Veterans with a ‘Welcome Aboard’ kit when they first check into the Center. I say ‘check in’ but these Veterans are often coming in from the street with little or nothing in their possession. The kit consists of sheets, a blanket and pillowcase, and a variety of different personal care products to transition them through their first 30 days at the Center. We were able to provide 180 of these kits.
The DECADE task, the most difficult one we took on, involves refurbishing and updating one of the bathrooms to be ADA-compliant. Through a variety of channels, we reached out to members of the pest control industry, and others, at a time when many were preparing to participate in PestWorld. Our efforts paid off, and we offer a humble ‘thank you’ to all who contributed, as we were able to raise over $35,000 for this aspect of our Day of Service.
© PestVets
In summary, there were so many memorable moments created on this day: the reunion in the dishwashing room; presenting the giant, oversized check; and meeting many of the Veterans and sharing stories. For me, however, the most rewarding was the honor of simply giving back to those who are so deserving, and our PestVets group was proud to provide the NECHV with a total package worth over $43,000.
One more thing – you do not have to be a Veteran or currently serving our country to be part of PestVets. For more information, simply enter ‘PestVets’ on your Google machine.
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