Rehab center for veterans receives surprise Veterans Day donation

OVER-THE-RHINE, Ohio (WKRC) - Joseph House has an important mission: The organization helps veterans battling alcoholism and drug addiction get clean and sober and later find jobs.

Joshua Proctor spent this Veterans Day at Joseph House. Proctor works at Joseph House because he believes in the organization and knows it can help veterans battling substance abuse. He went through the program.

"If it wasn't for this place, I wouldn't be here. I really wouldn't. I really feel that things would have gotten a lot worse," Proctor said.

Proctor came to Joseph House in July 2018 from the VA. He said that he knew that he needed to make a change. A couple of months prior, his daughter died by suicide.

"Later on as an adult in life, I just kind of experimented here and there and just tried harder and harder drugs," Proctor said.

Most of the veterans who go through the program at Joseph House have lost everything and are not working. As they go through the program, they plan to get back to work. Joseph House helps the veterans find jobs.

Anderson Township's Andrew Pappas said he wanted to do something to help veterans, so he put out the call on his Facebook page and asked people to drop off suits they no longer needed to his dry cleaning businesses.

"We had people contacting me saying, 'Look, my husband passed away. I don't need these suits anymore,' and I was like, 'Sure. Bring them in,'" Pappas said. "Thanks to the good people of Anderson and Hyde Park."

Pappas cleaned and pressed the more-than-100 suits and dress shirts. He delivered them Monday afternoon to Joseph House.

The suits will be a big help to Joseph House clients like Anthony Pennington when he's ready to go on a job interview. He's been at Joseph House for two weeks as he seeks treatment for alcoholism.

"I've been running around couch surfing for a while and things get moved around and you lose things that you have, so any donation helps," Pennington said.

Proctor seemed surprised by the number of suits and shirts that were donated. Several of the residents came outside to unload the suits.

"It'll help them, give them some self-confidence. A suit always makes you feel better," Proctor said.

Joseph House celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. It works with several organizations and agencies to help veterans, including Cincinnati Police, Kroger and Cincinnati Works.