Kristen and Major Charles Querriera
their hearts and asked if OTA could send them clothes to give to the kids.”
OTA was able to send him clothing that the children so desperately needed.“ I kept in contact with this soldier because I was so touched by what he was doing and his selflessness,” she says.“ We finally met and were later married!” Kristen and Major Charles Querriera have two boys and recently moved from Mt. Lebanon to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas for a year while Charles completes a course there.
But the relocation hasn’ t slowed Querriera’ s dedication to do more for soldiers in Pittsburgh and across the country.“ We have now extended our services to help returning veterans,” she says.“ They come back and are injured, or they’ ve had multiple deployments and are beaten up. It takes a toll on them and their families. You can’ t drive down Banksville
Road without seeing a homeless veteran holding up a sign.”
OTA has partnered with the local Veterans Administration and other agencies that target at-risk veterans to get them off the streets and into permanent housing.“ Many of the veterans don’ t have furniture when they move into the housing. Can you imagine sleeping on the floor with a serious injury?”
To help these veterans get back on their feet, OTA provides them with beds, a home kit filled with everything they need to set up a new household, and taxi service to get to job interviews and medical and counseling appointments. The nonprofit has helped
Troops gaming on an Xbox that OTA sent them.
more than 3,000 returning veterans and their families since starting the project more than two years ago, but the demand keeps increasing.
“ We need to remember that we still have U. S. troops all over the world giving their lives to keep us safe,” says Querriera.“ My message is to please remember them and if you can donate to OTA, or another veterans charity, please do. And if you see veterans, thank them. It will mean so much to them.”
OTA accepts monetary and in‐kind donations. Visit the website at operationtroopappreciation. org for more information. n
Local troops of the 316th ESC returning home from deployment in Kuwait, 2011-12.
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