Whatever happened to the repairs to the Veteran’s Center?

While in a discussion Thursday morning, a subject came up about the Veterans Center on Pine Street. Myself and a friend of mine were talking about their good work and how they provide clothing and food, as well as many other services, to any veteran in need. The subject came up on the condition of the building and its need for repairs. I was appalled. I thought it was a joke because I recall hearing that they were fixing the building in a city council meeting. Mr. Gallagher, who works for the city, said they were going to fix the windows and insulate and caulk them. They were also supposedly working towards getting the roof repaired before the winter.

When we arrived at the Veteran’s Center, I noticed right away that there was no new roof or windows. Everything was peeling away and deplorable. We went inside and talked to some of the people there who were happy to give us a tour. They had replaced all of the ceiling tiles in the main meeting area because they were stained from the roof leaking. Every time it rains, all they do is change the tiles. Isn’t this the same thing they do in City Hall? The bathroom ceiling tiles have a huge hole in them and they are just waiting for the next heavy rain storm for the ceiling to come crashing down. Is this how we treat our American heroes? The rear windows are all boarded up and the windows on the side of the building have tree branches growing through them. A veteran told me they have to keep cutting trees because they’re growing right into the building. Yes, right into the building and up into the roof. I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself. We continue our tour where there is a broken down trailer that looked like it should have been torn down 40 years ago. It was well organized, however, with wall-to-wall clothes donated for our veterans. I was very impressed on how they work so hard to help each other. I started to feel that our community does nothing or little to support them. I had to stop and think and remind myself that it’s not the community’s fault. They donate to the center all of the time. It is the powers-that-be. You know, the ones that show up when the cameras are turned on.

I spoke with one of our veterans. I asked him, how many times has the mayor, or any politician, stopped by here to see how all of you are doing and if you need anything? He replied,” I am here every single day and I’ve only seen the Mayor here twice. I dropped the subject quickly because I could tell that many of the people there did not have any admiration for the way they are being treated.

For the hell of it, I made a few phone calls. One in particular was to a supervisor at Home Depot. I asked him,” How would your company feel about helping with a Veteran’s Center?’ I explained the whole situation. His reply was,” We do this all of the time for non-profits. Our corporation would be happy to supply whatever materials are needed.” I knew the answer before I called. So why isn’t this service being utilized?
Our veterans were promised repairs that were to be fixed before the winter. It seems like just one more promise broken by self-centered politicians. It is unfortunate, because most in this community would give you their last dollar, but we have a center that is deplorable. I am of one mindset, if you cannot do something, just say you can’t. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. I’m sure when this story comes out everyone will be spinning this issue and blaming each other. The administration needs to be held accountable and fix what is needed for the people who fought for our freedom and for those that are still fighting.

Editorial by Gene St. Pierre and revised by Fall River Reporter