Bristol County Sheriff’s Office donates two vans to Fall River veterans

FALL RIVER – Veterans in the city will have an easier time getting to medical appointments. And if they stop by the Veteran’ Kitchen on the way back for a meal, they might notice a few new items on the menu thanks to a donation from the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office.

The BCSO donated two vans that will make a positive difference in the lives of city veterans.

“Anything we can do, we’re just a call or a visit away,” Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson said Wednesday to a group of vets outside the Veterans’ Kitchen at the Corky Row Club. “You fought for our country. You put your lives on the line for us, for our families and for our freedom.”

Dawn Trahan of the Veterans’ Kitchen said the van allows her and the other volunteers to pick up more donations and deliver more meals to veterans in need.

“This is huge for us,” she said Wednesday morning. “We’ll be able to do so much more with this. We can’t thank the Sheriff’s Office enough.”

The BCSO also donated a van to the Disabled American Veterans Association. Sheriff Hodgson presented the keys to Paul Pacheco of the DAV at the Veterans Center of Fall River on Wednesday morning.

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson and city veterans get together at the Veterans Center in Fall River Wednesday for a meet and greet following the van donation.

Pacheco said the van will be used to bring veterans to and from medical appointments at the VAs around the state.

Marco Nunes, Mike Encarnacao and Joe DaMota of the BCSO’s facilities team fixed up the vans and prepared them for the veterans.

“These veterans left their homes and families to defend our country,” Sheriff Hodgson said after Wednesday’s ceremonies. “Helping these organizations assist Bristol County veterans is the right thing to do.”