TAMPA, Fla. — A U.S. Army veteran, aware of the needs of so many of our veterans, is making sure the families of servicemembers are taken care of as well. 

Jim Griffin is the chairman of Operation Helping Hand at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa.

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Operation Helping Hand is dedicated to helping the families of the wounded and injured during their stay there.

"The vets are taken care of. The families is the place where there's a fall-off and we help them. We give them a welcome kit when they first get here," Griffin said.

That kit includes about $1,500 in gift cards at many popular stores where families can purchase food, clothing, personal supplies and more.

Griffin also talked about the Operation Helping Hand wall, where many pictures, awards and honors are displayed. 

"Here's something we're really proud of," he said. "It's the Outstanding Public Service Award, presented by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and it's presented to Operation Helping Hand. They don't give that many out."

A nonprofit organization, Operation Helping Hand returns 95½ percent of funds collected to vets and their families, as well as supporting several therapy programs. One of them is the Recreation Therapy Clinic. 

Evelyn Mack, the supervisory recreation therapy specialist at the clinic, displays some of the artwork done there.

"This is all leather," she said, showing the art piece. "This was a blank canvas of leather and every bit of this was hand-tooled."

Music therapy is key as well, along with virtual reality and adapting gaming therapy.

All of this with the help and major support of Griffin and his team. 

When the 80-year-old retired Lieutenant Colonel, tank and chopper commander was asked when he'll be done with Operation Helping Hand, he responded:

"Until we don't need to be doing it anymore."