PENN TWP — The 25 veterans who live at Colonial Gardens will have an upgraded outdoor seating area this spring, summer and fall, thanks to a group of patriotic folks who like to support those who have served.

Marty and Ron Pristas, of Richland Township, Allegheny County, found out about Colonial Gardens on Steppland Road by volunteering with Meals on Wheels.

So the couple began bringing cakes on Valentine's Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Veterans Day, Christmas and other holidays.

“It’s a way to show love,” Marty said. “My husband is a veteran, and we love veterans.”

For the past six or seven months, the Pristases visit once per month.

“Sometimes, we drop off food, but more importantly, to have a cup of coffee and a conversation,” Marty said. “They are so warm and welcoming here, and the (veterans) love company.”

She pointed out that most veterans living at Colonial Gardens don’t have any family.

“It has to get lonesome, so we don’t want to forget them,” Marty said.

On Saturday, the Pristases, plus a handful of their friends from West Deer Township, Allegheny County, arrived at Colonial Gardens around 8:30 a.m. with shovels, rakes and a pressure washer to spruce up the grounds behind Colonial Gardens so the veterans can enjoy the coming warm weather.

While it was too wet to paint the pair of picnic tables on the patio, the group planted and mulched flowers, pressure-washed the stones on the patio, hung new flags representing each branch of the U.S. military, and generally cleaned up the outside area enjoyed by the veterans.

The group also brought lunch for the veterans.

“I was grilling hot dogs this morning,” said Glenn Goss.

Goss, Ed Fichter, Dennis Manley and Ray Donnelly live at the Hunt Club at Grandview Estates in West Deer Township.

A neighbor who heard of the group’s plans donated $250 toward the effort, which was used to purchase the flags, flowers and other items for the cleanup on Saturday.

Fichter said the Lowe’s store in Gibsonia gave the group a significant discount when they heard their plan.

“We all are very, very passionate about our veterans and our country,” Goss said. “We appreciate what our veterans have done for us, and this is a way to give back.”

Fichter said the group had a small clothing drive, where the men in the group donated jeans, coats, shirts and sweatshirts for the veterans at Colonial Gardens.

Fichter said the group planned to spend four to six hours at the facility Saturday.

“Our veterans have sacrificed and laid their lives on the line,” he said. “Where’s the help for these guys? They really need it.”

He said the group is happy to help the veterans at Colonial Gardens in any way possible.

“Lots of the veterans in here, they were forgotten by their own families,” Fichter said. “That makes me want to cry.”

He said all the veterans ask from anyone is a little time.

“I’ve had guys say ‘Hey, do you want to see my drawings?’” Fichter said.

Brett Pedrico, a nine-year resident of Colonial Gardens who served in the Navy from 1976 to 2000, appreciated the efforts of the volunteers.

“I think it’s extraordinary,” he said. “They consider veterans to be high-class people.”

Pedrico said he cleans and refills the birdbath, takes garbage out and performs other tasks at Colonial Gardens, but none of the residents are able to perform the tasks the volunteers tackled Saturday.

“I’m glad they are here,” he said. “I like to sit outside in the summer.”

Robert DiGiacomo, who served in the Air Force from 1970 to 1973, has lived at Colonial Gardens for 13 years.

He watched the volunteers dig, plant, mulch and spray on Saturday.

“I think they like us,” DiGiacomo said. “They are always smiling.”

Kim Leroy, administrator at Colonial Gardens, said her sister has owned the facility for 45 years, and it has been a personal care home for veterans all that time.

She appreciated the work the volunteers did Saturday.

“They’re like angels,” Leroy said. “If it’s not them (doing the work), it’s us, and everyone is short-staffed.”

She said the veterans at Colonial Gardens are taken places such as the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium and the North Washington Rodeo by members of West Sunbury American Legion Post 201, who also do picnics and dinners for the men, and bring presents at Christmas.

The post also provided televisions and furniture when they were needed at Colonial Gardens.

In addition, American Legion Post 683 in Jefferson Township brings dinners to Colonial Gardens, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Butler and Saxonburg bring meals for the men.

“I don’t know how they hear about us, because we don’t advertise ourselves, and we’re not on Facebook,” Leroy said.

She said Butler ABATE comes to play bingo with the veterans, and holds picnics in the summer or Christmas activities in the winter. Members of ABATE, which stands for Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education, also gifted Colonial Gardens with a video game system, Leroy said.

“They care about veterans,” she said.