The staff of Visit Hot Springs, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, has joined with a veterans support group to raise money for the rehabilitation of a house that will serve at-risk veterans and their families.
The fundraising project will be a giant rummage sale, Vending for Vets, on December 21, at 8am, that will donate all the money raised to directly benefit Arkansas Veteran Support Services (AVSS), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to honor, directly assist and improve the quality of life of Central Arkansas’s at-risk and disabled veterans.
AVSS has inherited a house that will be remodeled and used as a residence where at-risk or homeless veterans and their families can stay as they rebuild their lives. The property is located at 300 Glade Street in Hot Springs. It has a good roof and subfloor, but needs some structural and cosmetic improvements, complete electrical, and complete plumbing.
“The staff of Visit Hot Springs was challenged to come up with a project that would involve all of our employees and benefit a public cause,” Leysa Lowery, human resources director for Visit Hot Springs. “We asked our staffers to vote on a project, and they chose one that will benefit veterans in Hot Springs and Garland County.”
The staff decided to hold a giant rummage sale on Saturday, December 21, in Exhibit Hall A of the Hot Springs Convention Center. Visit Hot Springs employees will donate and collect items for the rummage sale, and all the money will go to AVSS.
“We’ll ask the public to contribute items so that this will be a huge rummage sale. We will be taking donations of items for the sale — except no clothing or shoes — beginning Monday, December 16, and lasting until Friday, December 20, at noon.”
Arkansas Veteran Support Services is a nonprofit organization that relies on individual and corporate donations. It has conducted 15 projects to help local veterans safely navigate their homes and property, and has provided transportation to and from medical appointments.
If you have questions regarding AVSS, please feel free to contact director, Wendell Roberts, at 501- 276-1452 or arvetservices@yahoo.com. If you have question regarding the Vending for Vets Rummage Sale, contact Lowery at 501-321-2027, or leysa@hotsprings.org.
