Group volunteers to clean headstones of veterans

By Lethbridge Herald on November 1, 2024.

A woman washes the headstones of family members who were veterans, on Friday at Mountain View Cemetery. Herald photo by Alexandra Noad

Alexandra Noad – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

On a brisk November morning Friday, members of the community gathered to wash headstones of veterans at Mountain View Cemetery.

This is the first year the Veterans Association Food Bank started this initiative.

The Lethbridge chapter of Veterans Association Food Bank opened last November with the mission to work alongside Legion branches to give veterans of the military and policing any assistance they may need.

The Lethbridge chapter focuses on southern Alberta and includes areas from Medicine Hat to the Crowsnest Pass.

There are other chapters which serve areas around Edmonton and Calgary as well as some in B.C.

Glenn Henry, a former police officer, says the Veterans Association Food Bank is much more than a food bank, with staff often by reaching out to veterans instead of vice-versa.

“We don’t encourage veterans to come to the food bank per-se, we want to go to the veterans and by providing them food hampers, we also want to check on seeing how they are doing,” said Henry.

Henry added through these visits they can make sure the veterans have the supports they need, as many of them struggle with mental health and social challenges.

While the act of cleaning a headstone may seem small, one lady left teary eyed as she was able to wash the headstone of two relatives who had served in the war.

As they were leaving, she mentioned how she never had the opportunity to wash the headstone of the relatives and what a profound act of service it was.

Donna Lemay is a volunteer whose father served in the Second World War, with the responsibility to close the camps.

Lemay says it was an emotional experience for her, as she recognized some of the names, but she was surprised at how many graves there were.

“It’s very emotional and this is a great opportunity to come and take care of the stones. I hadn’t realized there were so many. That surprises me,” said Lemay.

There were people of all ages who came out to support cleaning. One volunteer says he expected it to be an all-day thing, but it ended up only taking a couple of hours.

Lemay says she thinks it was a great opportunity for the children present to learn the history and keep the memory of the veterans alive.

“I think that’s great to educate them, so they grow up knowing what the tradition is and why we do this,” Lemay.

While this is the first year this event has taken place, there are hopes it will become an annual event.

“We want to show respect to those that have sacrificed for our freedoms. By doing something very small (but) very significant though (and) clean some of the headstones to make sure those that have fallen aren’t forgotten and they’re going to be well looked after,” said Henry.

More information on the Veterans Association Food Bank can be found at veteransassociation.ca