Suffolk County Legislator Samuel Gonzalez visited East Middle School this week alongside members of the U.S. armed forces to launch the annual Valentines for Veterans initiative.

The visiting soldiers spoke with students about the challenges of long deployments and the emotional impact of receiving mail while stationed overseas. The service members shared that even small gestures like handmade cards provide significant comfort to troops and veterans.

Suffolk County is home to one of the largest veteran populations in New York and the card drive aims to bridge the gap between local youth and those who have served. In previous years the legislator’s office has collected and distributed more than 5,000 cards from the community.

Gonzalez is scheduled to return to East Middle School in early February to collect the student creations and finalize arrangements for their distribution to active-duty personnel and local veterans homes.