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So many times, life's small conveniences make big differences in how well we get by.
A prime example can be found in Building 17 at the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. That's where the VA recently opened its new canteen, a combination restaurant/store designed to provide necessities — and perhaps a few frivolities as well — to veterans, friends and family members.
The canteen offers cafeteria-style fare in a cheerier and roomier atmosphere than the former amenity in Building 16. It's open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, making it available for breakfast (which starts at $4.05 per meal), lunch (for as little as $5.25) and snacks. The menu lists several items that weren't available in the past, such as personal pizzas, gourmet salads and certain types of sandwiches.
Instead of separating the cafeteria from the shop, as was the case at the previous site, the canteen combines the two for easy access to patrons. Wider, wheelchair-accessible store aisles flank merchandise ranging from basic toiletries to major appliances, and from tires to hats embroidered with military insignia. You can even grab a competitively priced can of Ensure.
VA officials say they opted to create new space as opposed to renovating the old one because it was cheaper. The old space, by the way, had been in use for 63 years, according to canteen chief Elizabeth Jesch. That was back in the early years of Harry Truman's presidency.
We salute the VA for its frugality, but also for knowing when to open its pocketbook. Because while not all veterans are elderly nor disabled, some are, and it shouldn't be difficult for them to get to a marketplace for staples. Some veterans are in temporary residence from far places, and might not have remembered to pack all their essentials. And some in treatment have visiting spouses, relatives and friends who could use a handy place to pick up a soda or get-well card without having to drive halfway across town to do it.
Besides all those customers, there are volunteers who are using meal tickets given by way of compensation for their time and efforts. On any given day there may also be a child who deserves a small treat for good behavior while visiting a grandparent recovering from surgery.
Most of the merchandise is geared toward veterans. Still, you don't need military ID to shop or nosh at the new canteen. It's open to all.
Medical centers can be stressful places, no matter how efficient or courteous the staff members. A cup of coffee or stuffed animal won't take the place of physical therapy or change a prognosis from poor to excellent. A bargain on a TV set doesn't wipe away the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Still, it's the little comforts, all working together, that help ease a potentially tough day. We think our veterans and their families deserve any perks that make that happen.
We also think Harry Truman, a World War I veteran, would have agreed.
A prime example can be found in Building 17 at the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. That's where the VA recently opened its new canteen, a combination restaurant/store designed to provide necessities — and perhaps a few frivolities as well — to veterans, friends and family members.
The canteen offers cafeteria-style fare in a cheerier and roomier atmosphere than the former amenity in Building 16. It's open from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, making it available for breakfast (which starts at $4.05 per meal), lunch (for as little as $5.25) and snacks. The menu lists several items that weren't available in the past, such as personal pizzas, gourmet salads and certain types of sandwiches.
Instead of separating the cafeteria from the shop, as was the case at the previous site, the canteen combines the two for easy access to patrons. Wider, wheelchair-accessible store aisles flank merchandise ranging from basic toiletries to major appliances, and from tires to hats embroidered with military insignia. You can even grab a competitively priced can of Ensure.
VA officials say they opted to create new space as opposed to renovating the old one because it was cheaper. The old space, by the way, had been in use for 63 years, according to canteen chief Elizabeth Jesch. That was back in the early years of Harry Truman's presidency.
We salute the VA for its frugality, but also for knowing when to open its pocketbook. Because while not all veterans are elderly nor disabled, some are, and it shouldn't be difficult for them to get to a marketplace for staples. Some veterans are in temporary residence from far places, and might not have remembered to pack all their essentials. And some in treatment have visiting spouses, relatives and friends who could use a handy place to pick up a soda or get-well card without having to drive halfway across town to do it.
Besides all those customers, there are volunteers who are using meal tickets given by way of compensation for their time and efforts. On any given day there may also be a child who deserves a small treat for good behavior while visiting a grandparent recovering from surgery.
Most of the merchandise is geared toward veterans. Still, you don't need military ID to shop or nosh at the new canteen. It's open to all.
Medical centers can be stressful places, no matter how efficient or courteous the staff members. A cup of coffee or stuffed animal won't take the place of physical therapy or change a prognosis from poor to excellent. A bargain on a TV set doesn't wipe away the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder.
Still, it's the little comforts, all working together, that help ease a potentially tough day. We think our veterans and their families deserve any perks that make that happen.
We also think Harry Truman, a World War I veteran, would have agreed.
