July 19, 2023 By Carol Britton Meyer
Gardner Street resident Diane DeNapoli is partnering this summer with Director of Veterans’ Services Keith Jermyn, a retired U.S. Navy senior chief petty officer, in a “Flower Power” fundraising campaign to benefit veterans.
DeNapoli, an avid gardener and the daughter of a veteran, will sell beautiful flower arrangements from her garden, including hydrangeas and zinnias in an array of colors — pink, orange, white, coral, and yellow — at 16 Gardner St. for $10 each. The proceeds will be used to purchase supermarket gift cards for Hingham veterans who are experiencing food insecurity, which Jermyn said is a growing issue in town as well as nationwide.
According to the Feeding America website, 1 in 9 working-age veterans nationwide live in food insecure households, while 24 percent of active-duty service members experienced food insecurity in 2020. Overall, 1.2 million low-income veterans use SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps).
The flowers may be purchased with cash or venmo@DDenapoli on Fridays and Saturdays — between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. — while supplies last, beginning July 21. The goal is to raise $1,000.
“I know this is not a panacea, but it’s a little something I could do to show my appreciation for those who have served our country,” DeNapoli told the Hingham Anchor. “I know the generous people and businesses of Hingham can make this happen.
Stop by and bring some flowers home to cheer up your table while at the same time helping to put food on the table of a Hingham veteran. Corporate donations will gladly be received and would be greatly appreciated.”
Nice work Diane & Keith.