When Luke Moody, our Veterans Coalition program coordinator, first heard that a Vietnam Veteran needed a ramp to stay in his own home, he didn’t wait—he started making calls.

That kind of swift, community-driven action is at the heart of the Veterans Coalition of the Finger Lakes, a coalition of people and organizations committed to supporting Veterans by raising community awareness, finding and resourcing solutions, and building strengths that address substance misuse in the region.

The connection came through Luke’s local VFW meeting, where the need was first raised. Luke, who serves as Veterans Coalition Program Coordinator and is a Veteran himself, started making calls immediately. Within a day, he had connected the Veteran with Greg White, a Navy Veteran who owns and operates Finger Lakes Comfort Inc. White came to the home without delay, measuring, purchasing, and installing the ramp so the Veteran could continue living independently.

“There are some great people like Greg who are generously willing to help, and the Network that we have built can leverage some great assets to our community,” said Moody.