Belvidere Police Department makes generous donations to VACBC

Christmas came a little early to the Veterans Assistance Commission of Boone County (VACBC) in 2016 when representatives of the Belvidere Police Department stopped by to deliver some very generous donations on Tuesday, Dec. 20.

“We were thrilled and very appreciative of this very generous donation,” VACBC Superintendent Bob Ryder said. “For the Belvidere Police Department to come up with this kind of donation really speaks volumes of their commitment to helping local veterans in the Boone County area.”

According to Ryder, the total amount of the donation was $450 in cash and more than $200 in gift cards for Wal-Mart.

“Every penny of that donation will go into our donation fun. That means that all of it goes toward helping Boone County veterans with none of it being used for ‘overhead expenses,’” Ryder said.

However, that wasn’t the end of the donations.

Thanks to the efforts of the Belvidere Community Policing Coordinator Tim Blankenship and his group of hard working volunteers, close to 500 canned goods and food items also were donated to help veterans in need.

“During the cold winter months, many veterans have a difficult time finding the resources to pay their heat, electric, medical, and food bills,” Ryder said. “These food items will really make a difference for those veterans who are most in need. We’ve already started to give some of them out.”

The Veterans Assistance Commission of Boone County is a county funded and run program that has the mission of helping Boone County veterans in need both financially and emotionally. To find out more about their services, go to their Facebook page or call (815) 544-6464 during normal working hours for more information.