Mark Vital's sixth graders hold donations for Sweats for Vets.

Photo Credit: Mark Vital

Mark Vital wears his New England Patriots sweatshirt.

Photo Credit: Mark Vital

Socks wrapped in Christmas paper, a sports sweatshirt for a Boston fan, a thank you card; these are all usual sights during the holidays. But some people in the community, like homeless veterans, don’t get to see them every year.

Mark Vital, an English teacher at the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough, believes at this time of year, it is important to remember those less fortunate. He stresses these ideals in his teaching at school.

“The kids read 'A Christmas Carol; in my class and I try to do stuff with them to emphasize the point in the story, which is Christmas is the one time of year where we recognize people below us as equals,” Vital said.

These ideals, combined with his four years in the service, inspired him to reach out to the homeless veterans in the area. This year, he started the initiative called “Sweats for Vets” and he is collecting socks, hats, gloves and Boston sports sweatshirts for veterans involved in Veterans Inc. in Shrewsbury.

Vital was inspired to help the veterans after making a Christmas Day breakfast for homeless veterans last year. His students collected socks and hats, wrapped them with a card and handed them out to the veterans on Christmas Day. He said the idea to deliver Boston sports sweatshirts came from hearing about a veteran wearing a Redskins sweatshirt because he had no other clothes.

“This guy had done two tours in Vietnam and this was the only shirt he owned,” Vital said. “I really don’t know how we can allow this for anyone, let alone a veteran.”

Sweats for Vets will be collecting socks, hats, gloves and Boston sports related sweatshirts. Donations can be dropped off at the Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School, 201 Forest St. in Marlborough or at Julio’s Liquors, 140 Turnpike Road, Westborough. Vital said he would also be willing to pick up donations from people who can’t make it to the drop-off sites.

Vital and his students will be wrapping the donations on Dec. 19 but donations will be accepted all the way up until Christmas.

“If you spent five minutes at breakfast and saw the faces of these men and women and heard their stories, your heart just goes out to them,” Vital said.

For more information or to schedule a donation pickup, contact Mark Vital at run5kfast@yahoo.com or call (508) 229-3160 after 5:30 p.m.