Woonsocket Mill Donates 200 Blankets to Veterans in Transitional Housing

Woonsocket’s Northwest Woolen Mill, the largest woolen blanket manufacturer in the United States, has donated 200 woolen blankets to veterans residing in YWCA Rhode Island’s transitional housing program for homeless veterans.

The Woonsocket based company, a division of the Brickle Group, has been supporting members of the military and military families for years and this donation comes just in time for Veterans Day. And for these veterans, it comes at a time when they could use a little extra help.

“YWCA Rhode Island CEO Deborah Perry called and asked if we could provide enough blankets for every veteran who enters the YWCA program on an annual basis. We didn’t think twice about our response and delivered the blankets to the YWCA Gateway facility within 48 hours of the request, ” said Max Brickle, President of the Brickle Group.

Woonsocket is a city built upon a once-mighty textile industry and the mill is a source of pride for many who yearn for the city to find its stride again after years of painful economic blows. The Brickle Group landed a $29.3 million contract from the defense department in May to make berets for military service members and Brickle promised to double staffing as it increased production at the plant. The company employed 130 people at the time.

YWCA Rhode Island Gateway is an alcohol and drug free transitional housing program in the City of Providence, Rhode Island. In 2015, 69 veterans transitioned from the program, 50 veterans are currently enrolled in the program and reside in the YWCA housing were they are provided case management services to help them identify and treat the issues that caused their homelessness.

The goals of the program are to assist the veteran with residential stability, increase their skills levels and\or income, and obtain greater self-determination. YWCA personnel staff the program 24 hours per day/7 days a week.

The YWCA has supported members of the military and military families for nearly a century, beginning in World War I when the YWCA and other women’s groups lobbied for a female military corp. The effort paid off during World War II when the first Women’s Auxiliary Corps (WACS) was founded in 1942. Soon after, the YWCA was one of six national organizations that launched the USO.

Every year, at YWCAs across the country, over 4,000 military veterans and their families receive emergency housing, health care, career training and counseling. Military women who are victims of sexual assault also receive support.

The Brickle Group is a “ diversified group of private companies comprised of Hyman Brickle & Son, Inc., Bouckaert Industrial Textiles, Metcalf Brothers, Northwest Woolen Mills, and The Brickle Realty Group,” according to the company website.

Photo courtesy: Northeast Woolen Mills