Happy 1st Birthday Mike!!! Mike is representing with the Coast Guard patches thanks to Imperial Textile & Paratrooper Army Navy Surplus. Imperial Texile donated their time and material to sew Velcro on the backs of almost 50 military patches, donated by Paratrooper. The quality of the work, attention to detail, and generosity says so much about these local company’s employees and management.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers for breaking your backs during the rain. Rain, Sleet or Snow, we must keep providing for our Veteran families Thank you to USDA, Feed More WNY, Paula’s Donuts, Canisius High School Students and the entire gang for keeping up this weekly effort.

Our king and queen of last Saturday’s Veteran’s dinner at The Fieldstone. The new King (John)/Queen (Jody) get to pick the next location for dinner. Everyone has a great time.

Excited to give yet another vehicle away to a Veteran who was desperately in need of transportation. US Army Veteran Joe King received a pick-up that was originally donated by our friends Mr. & Mrs. Francis Cote & son Christopher. The pickup was originally that of their late son/brother Jonathan Cote KIA Iraq. The Veteran who originally received this piece (Christ Family) called and decided to donate it back to us to recycle through the program as they were finally in a much better place and able to purchase a new family vehicle. We continue to keep the entire Cote family in our thoughts and prayers, especially Jonathan. Thank you to the Christ family for your willingness to bring it back for another Veteran to use. Thank you Amton Truck & Auto for your hand in this and making sure everything was fixed and ready for the road. Least but not last, thank you to Joe for your service to our country and make Jonathan’s truck bring you the same pleasure as it has in the past.

WNY Heroes would like to acknowledge the service and sacrifice of all African American Veterans from WNY including, but not limited to the following WWII Veterans:
PFC Roscoe Brown, US Marine Corps
Sgt. James Coleman, US Army
SFC Russell Guthrie, US Army (Purple Heart)
PFC Indiana Hunt Martin, US Women’s Army Corps
PFC Paul Woods. US Army (3 Bronze Stars)
Our sincere thanks and appreciation to all during black history month.

May God bless them, their families and watch over their children as they grow. Although God has called them home, they will never be forgotten. We thank you for your service, sacrifice, commitment and dedication to our grateful country. The three victims of the crash are 54-year-old Steven Skoda of Rochester, 39-year-old Christian Koch of Honeoye Falls, and 30-year-old Daniel Prial of Rochester.

Quit bad habits! Quit bad routines! Quit procrastinating! Quit quitting on yourself! It’s time! Classes for Veterans and dependents. It takes a family as a whole! Sign up now for amazing info and a chance to make changes with WNYHeroes and our amazing partners in the community! Your comfort and safety is important to us! Zoom and in person opportunities! Email [email protected] for a zoom link and title the email HEALTH AND WELLNESS for an informative night with amazing opportunities!

Legendary Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk & wife Joanie did a zoom meeting for over an hour and a half discussing a variety of topics including depression, OCD, & PTS. The local Veterans who took part may not have played 300 NHL games, but could relate to Clint & Joanie on lots of levels.

Now it’s state law! Misrepresentation of having a service or emotional support animal is a criminal offense. Knowingly misidentifying a dog as a guide, service, therapy, or hearing dog could $100 and 15 days in jail. It should be noted that while the Americans with Disabilities Act only qualifies dogs, and miniature ponies as “service animals” on the ground, the Department of Transportation allows for a wider definition of the term “service animal” in the air.

As a service dog, Mike will assist a 21 year Coast Guard Veteran thanks to our donors. Veterans interview with WNY Heroes President / CEO Chris Kreiger about the requirements and expectations of the dog, its owner, and the training process. Training usually takes about a year with the Veteran attending weekly sessions with their dog.

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has had the honor to meet some of our heroes, the Wilkins family. Mike Wilkins and his wife Jade really know how to pay it forward. Without volunteers like them, WNY Heroes simply couldn’t do what we do. Thanks!

Before volunteering with WNY Heroes, Rick Sepanski served in the Air Force as a Senior Master Sergeant all over the world. Rick has donated his time and effort at local events and now works part time as our bookkeeper. WNY Heroes simply couldn’t function as well as it does without reliable, selfless people like Rick.