Ernie Cafolla

U.S. Veteran

Ernie Cafolla flourishes in the Rhode Island Veterans Home with all of the crafts he makes out of Heal Vets’ kits.

Help Heal Veterans donated kits to the Rhode Island Veterans Home located on 100 acres overlooking Mount Hope Bay in the town of Bristol.

Ernie is an accomplished musician, inventor, mechanic, woodworker, gardener and person extraordinaire. He is the welcoming committee for new residents, the go-to person for quick fixes such as cue stick tip replacements for our pool table crowd, music adviser to activities (plays a mean guitar) and the craftiest person here.”

Ernie has built birdhouses, made belts and purses, chiming clocks, pens, whirligigs and jewelry boxes from our kits. From his own creative mind, he has made wind chimes out of silverware, pitchers and mugs out of tin cans, sculptures from scrap metal, ornaments from bottle caps, and wonderful clocks made out of anything he can find such as cheese graters, frying pans, metal trays, and old LPs, a favorite being an LP with guitar picks indicating the hours.

“His room is a craft-man’s dream museum and magical to visit while being regaled with his countless stories. Ernie Cafolla is truly a Renaissance man. The RIVH is lucky to have him here and we are lucky to have your (Heal Vets) craft kits!”