CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (WROC) — Blue Star Canteen is one of the few — if not only — place of its kind in the country, explains Bobbie Metcalfe.
“We have a clothing closet, we have a food pantry and personal care products… Everything in this house is free to our vets and their families,” she said.
The group also provides rides, company, and adopt a veteran program at Christmastime. At the canteen, they also serve a free homecooked dinner every third Wednesday for any veteran.
Blue Star Canteen is administered through Blue Star Mothers New York Chapter #1 . The Blue Star Mothers were established in 1942, as a nationwide group.
If you’re a mother with a child in any military branch, you can join the Blue Star Mothers. Metcalfe has two daughters and two sons that served in the Army.
“We believe every child that goes into the service is our kids,” she said. “We’re just moms taking care of our kids.”
This chapter moved into this space on Foster Street in Canandaigua, but it needed a lot of work, including new windows.