Area veteran receives help with wood, yard work
Vietnam-era Army veteran and Randolph County resident David Moore reached out to Hero’s Bridge for help after reading about its national call center on a veterans’ blog.
Based in Warrenton, Va., Hero’s Bridge has served aging veterans 65 and older since 2016 with four programs addressing social isolation, mental health, the therapeutic value of pets and safe housing. In June, Hero’s Bridge launched the nationwide Battle Buddy Call Center to bring these services to more veterans.
Moore’s request was simple. The combination of poor health and summer heat kept him from being able to maintain his yard and cut wood. It was quickly becoming out of hand. He reached out for help and connected with Battle Buddy Call Center coordinator Rachel Brown, who began making calls in Randolph County.
Rita Honeycutt of the Randolph County Department of Veteran Services received one of those calls.
“I put a message out to the community from my Facebook account asking for help. The response was overwhelming. Within a matter of hours, we had several tree companies and landscapers willing to volunteer their time,” Honeycutt said.
The group decided to make a day of it. On Aug. 12, they visited Moore and his wife and got to work.
The Firewood Guy NC was one of the businesses that stepped up to help. The business posted on to its Facebook page: “A man that I really admire told me a few weeks ago, no matter the costs, you will never go broke helping people in need. This morning we packed up the Wolfe Ridge splitters and me and pops went down to Randolph County to help a Vietnam veteran and his wife, knock out their woodpile and make sure they have heat for the winter. We processed and stacked close to two full cords in a matter of a few hours.”
Misti Ashe of AG Grind Masters said her business felt the need to lend a hand as a way of saying thank you to veterans.
“Our contribution is only a drop in the bucket compared to the sacrifices that our veterans give. Our community was able to step forward and help in a time of need. We are very thankful for the opportunity to be of assistance to Mr. Moore,” she said.
Moore said the work was appreciated.
“It was very hot that day, and we made sure to have water and Gatorade available and prepare lunch for them. The whole team worked very diligently and got a great deal done. I hope to get the word out [about Hero’s Bridge call center] to other veterans who may need help,” he said.
This article was originally published in the August 26, 2023 edition of the Asheboro Courier Tribune and is shared here with permission of the editor of the publication. You can view the original article and photos here (please note, link is behind a paywall).
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