WESTFIELD — During its regular gathering on March 19, members of the Rotary Club of Westfield heard from one of their own, Burim Regjaj, as he shared the story behind his initiative to aid homeless veterans.
Raised in Kosovo, a territory of the former Yugoslavia, Mr. Regjaj found himself at age 19 drafted to serve in theYugoslavianArmy during the leadup to the Croatian and Bosnian conflicts. However, he refused to participate in the violence and instead fled to the United States.
In 1999, the situation in Kosovo escalated to full-blown combat. Mr. Regjaj’s hometown, along with over 100,000 other homes, was burned to the ground by the Serbian army. He was forced to watch as his community was torn apart and half of its population was forcibly expelled across the borders. Under the leadership of the United States, a coalition of 68 countries intervened to stop the mass expulsion and slaughter of the Albanian majority in Kosovo. After 72 days of intense bombardment, the U.S.-led coalition emerged victorious, allowing the Albanian population to return to their homes. Mr. Regjaj was deeply moved by the professionalism and bravery of the American soldiers as they entered the newly-liberated Kosovo. The memory of their toughness and impressive military equipment remains etched in his mind to this day.
In the United States, Mr. Regjaj took on various jobs, including working in restaurants and real estate, to support himself as he pursued higher education. He eventually earned a degree in business and, along with his brother, opened a pizzeria in Westfield called Outta Hand Pizza, located on South Avenue.
Following the opening of the pizza shop, a man entered the establishment who was unable to afford a meal. It was later discovered that this man was a veteran of the Kosovo war, and it was disheartening for Mr. Regjaj to see the decline he had experienced. In an act of kindness, Mr. Regjaj offered the veteran a free meal, which sparked an idea — why not involve the Westfield community? This gave rise to the “Prepay a Meal For a Veteran” program, where individuals could pre-pay for a meal for a veteran and the pizzeria would match it by 20 percent. As the word spread, funds were collected to provide free meals for veterans at the pizzeria. However, the response from the residents of Westfield was overwhelming, and there were more prepaid meals than there were veterans. As a result, extra food was brought to the veterans at the Lyons Veterans Administration (VA) facility, where Mr. Regjaj learned about the needs of homeless veterans living there.
Over time, Mr. Regjaj discovered another organization in New York called “General Needs, Inc.” that helps veterans by purchasing clothing wholesale. He collaborated with the group to provide the veterans at the Lyons VA facility with essential items such as winter coats, insulated pants, spring jackets, boots, T-shirts, underwear, socks, towels, duffle bags and toiletries. Before ordering and delivering the items approximately 10 times a year, Mr. Regjaj would determine the sizes of the veterans in need.
The Rotary Club of Westfield has been a strong supporter of this project for several years and is now joined by five other local Rotary clubs. Together, they have provided more than $50,000 worth of clothing and supplies to the veterans in 19 monthly distributions. Even the schoolchildren of Westfield got involved during the holidays by making 1,500 greeting cards to accompany the giftwrapped boxes containing hats, gloves and scarves for the veterans. To contribute to this cause, consider making a tax-deductible donation to the Westfield Rotary Club Foundation, 416 East Dudley Avenue, Westfield, N.J. 07090.
Mr. Regjaj has spearheaded a second project in Kosovo to help impoverished Roma schoolchildren. Thanks to the generosity of the Rotary club, five learning centers in Kosovo now have iPads and 114 backpacks filled with essential school supplies for an entire year.
The Rotary Club of Westfield meets the first three Tuesdays of each month for lunch at noon at Limáni Seafood Grill, located at 235 North Avenue West, Westfield. Guests are always welcome. For information, check out the website www.westfieldrotary.com or contact Club Secretary Dr. D. Michael Hart by email at drmhart@yahoo.com.
