Harry Donovan, born and raised in Akron, Ohio, received his first exposure to veterans while staying in a Cleveland hospital after being injured in the Navy. Many of the veterans there could not afford to go home for Christmas so Harry volunteered to pay for their expenses.
“So I send all these guys home for Christmas. Come January, they sent me the bill for it. It was $3200….$4200! And in those years I was only making $3000 a year, but that’s 60 years ago and I’ve been helping veterans ever since,” explained Harry.
Volunteers are an essential part of the Valor Home with numbers around 60, and spend time with the veterans getting to know them and allowing them an outlet to share what they are experiencing.