Vietnam veteran honored by Red Cross for giving "Vittles for Vets"

Vietnam veteran who feeds fellow veterans named 2019 Red Cross Military Hero

WSLS NBC 10 News
Lindsey Ward
March 19, 2019

Our 2019 Red Cross Military Hero is a Vietnam veteran now helping other vets with one of life's basics: food.

You could say Bill McCann is surrounded by veterans.

When he's at home he helps his 95-year-old father-in-law who fought in World War II, pass the time with a puzzle.

But when McCann's out and about he's most likely volunteering with his nonprofit, Vittles for Vets.

“What we do is we issue $50 food gift cards to veterans who qualify for the program and to qualify you must be other than dishonorably discharged, you must be alcohol - and drug-free, and you must be living at or below federal guidelines for poverty,” McCann, he Red Cross Military Hero Award honoree, said.

Giving out these gift cards to veterans stemmed from a conversation with a homeless vet back in 2014.

“I took him to lunch in the cafeteria at the VA, gave him a $50 gift card to a supermarket and this big guy grabbed my hand and started crying and that was the very second Vittles for Vets was born,” McCann said.

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