No holiday gathering for veterans in Manchester, but volunteers deliver meals and warm clothes

In any other year, tables at the Manchester Elks Lodge would have been spread for a hot lunch on Thursday and 200 veterans would have been seated around, trading stories.

This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, tables at the Bissell Street hall held bulky hoodies, socks, gloves and knit hats. Volunteers boxed the new clothes along with meals of turkey and lasagna.

Elks members and staff from Johnson Brunetti Retirement and Investment Specialists then delivered the meals and clothing to veterans in Hartford, Bristol, Manchester, Newington, Rocky Hill, Vernon and West Haven.

Among the recipients was Phillip Hansley, a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War who lives in supportive housing in the Rockville section of Vernon run by the nonprofit Chrysalis Center. Hansley, who had been homeless for four months, said he appreciated the event sponsors’ generosity.

“It’s just great to know that so many people care,” he said.

Chrysalis Center serves veterans who need help with housing, finding work, treatment for PTSD and other issues, spokeswoman Adria Giordano said. The meals and clothing packages were headed to the agency’s housing facilities in several communities.

As in previous years, Zahner’s Clothiers of Vernon provided a deep discount on the clothing given to the veterans, organizers said.

“We live in the community; that’s why we do it,” store owner Scott Zahner said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.

Also, Manny Zahner, Scott’s father and co-founder of the family business, was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

This was the fifth year of the Manchester Elks holiday lunch for veterans. In past years, ceremonies have included the presentation of colors, playing of taps, speeches, poem readings and prayers. World War II veterans have had a special table at the event.

Last year, B-17 navigator and Manchester native Walther Grunder, who flew 14 missions over Europe, was an honored guest. The year before, the center of attention was Julia Lempeck of New Britain, then age 101, who served stateside during World War II with the Women’s Army Corps as a clerk typist.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com

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