Back in December, senior Matthew Leonard ’24 was honored by a Veterans Chapter in Maspeth, Queens in recognition of his summer volunteer work supporting the Chapter. Matthew, looking for volunteer opportunities in his community, reached out to the Veterans Chapter and offered to lend a helping hand where needed. “I have a lot of Veterans in my family, so it seemed like a good idea,” said Matt. The Veterans often travel to street fairs across Queens, where they sell merchandise to raise money for the Chapter. Matt would wake up early to commute and assist with setting up and breaking down their merchandise tables at various street fairs. “The Veterans are mostly older gentlemen, and they bring heavy boxes, racks, and tents to these street fairs, so I was able to help them out a lot with that.”
Matt also volunteered to help when the Veterans Chapter hosted the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The Moving Wall is a memorial that travels across the country to visit different cities and neighborhoods, serving Veterans who do not have the capacity to travel to see the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. At this event, Matt assisted with unpacking, assembling, and disassembling the wall, as well as supervision and serving food.
Matt was recognized for his volunteer efforts at the Veterans Chapter holiday party on December 2, 2023, receiving a plaque from the Veterans and a Certificate of Excellence and special congratulations from Queens leaders.
“I’m thankful to the Veterans Chapter for allowing me the opportunity to volunteer. I enjoyed hearing all their stories, and being around them was a great experience,” said Matt. Congratulations, Matt!