Veterans Home Receives Book Donation
In July of 2017, a ribbon cutting was held at Goodwill’s General Wayne A. Downing Home for Veterans. The event celebrated the addition of 5 new bedrooms to the home, bringing the total to fifteen. While the addition is beautiful, Goodwill Board of Directors member Pam Tomka noticed something that could use a little improvement. Former Director of the Washington District Library, Pam surmised that the books in the home’s library were a bit outdated.
That’s when she contacted Roberta Koscielski of the Peoria Public Library. 
Through the library’s Friends of Peoria Public Library group, the two were able to collect 150 books for the veterans. But not just any books, these were books with subject matter specifically requested by the home’s residents.
While this would ensure hours of enjoyment for the veterans, Pam wants to take it a step further. Her idea is to provide magazine subscriptions for the residents. Her goal is the have people underwrite the subscriptions and have the magazine sent to the home. She also thinks books on self-help topics would make a nice addition to the home’s library and is asking for donations.
Pam is no stranger to Goodwill and the work they do. As mentioned, she sits on the organization’s Board of Directors, is a member of Goodwill’s program services committee and is also a mentor in Goodwill’s GoodGuides® Youth Mentoring Program.
If you are interested in supplying the veterans home residents with a magazine subscription or have self-help books to donate, please contact Pam Tomka. She will advise which categories of magazines have been requested by the veterans. Pam can be reached via email at PTomka@aol.com.