With book donations, Knight helps hospitalized veterans cure their boredom

After Larry Sulikowski was hospitalized in 1972, he came up with a 'simple idea' to help bedridden veterans occupy their minds

DETROIT — Larry Sulikowski spent two long weeks in the hospital in 1972, and he has never forgotten the boredom. The veteran was recovering from a service-aggravated injury at the former Allen Park Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center in Detroit.

“It was a feeling of helplessness,” Sulikowski told Detroit Catholic. “Back in those days you didn’t have cellphones. And there was no TV in our ward. You just want to do something — with your hands and eyes, and your mind.”

And he knows many veterans then and now have it worse than he did. “There are people there (at the VA) who have been bedridden for months,” Sulikowski said.

Sulikowski would later talk to a member of the Knights on Bikes, a motorcycle group within the Knights of Columbus organization who volunteered at the VA, taking a cart of comfort items for the veterans in the different wards.

“They talked about possibly providing pocket word-search books,” Sulikowski remembers.

That idea led Sulikowski to eventually solicit donations from his own K of C council to purchase word search and other activity books for hospitalized veterans. “We started by just putting a box on the table during meetings with a sign that says, ‘Hey if you’ve got loose change and don’t mind donating it, throw it in the box.’ As we collect money, we purchase the books,” he said.

Sulikowski is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus Blessed Virgin Mary Assembly 1839, which meets through SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish in Sterling Heights, and serves as commander of the Knights’ Color Corps.

He enlisted in the Navy in 1968, during the height of the Vietnam War era. Because of his college education and mechanical and electrical knowledge, he was given additional schooling through the Navy and earned the classification of 3rd class petty officer. Later, he was promoted and would be honorably discharged as a 2nd class petty officer.

In total, Sulikowski and his fellow Knights have provided close to 5,000 activity books for hospitalized veterans in Detroit. Some of the overflow items have even been donated to the medical center that serves veterans in Ann Arbor.

“Larry came up with this simple idea,” fellow Knight Ken Pullis said. “Nobody else had really thought of it.”

Pullis, a third-degree member of the St. Nicholas Council 7011, also through SS. Cyril and Methodius, handles publicity for the group. He thought Sulikowski’s story needed to be told.

“It was no coincidence he was in the VA trying to think of something to do,” Pullis said.

Pullis believes God put Sulikowski in that position so he could be a blessing to others. “It’s a great witness and charism,” he said.

Sulikowski puts a great deal of time and effort into making his donations, researching the best distributor for the activity books. Sulikowski purchases materials from Penny Press, a division of Dell Publishing. In addition to its regular offerings, Penny Press offers discounted out-of-print books that have been warehoused. Sulikowski’s cost per book is roughly $1.42.

He began making the donations to the VA in 2005. In 2017, at the suggestion of William Browning, director of volunteer and community relations at the Veterans Administration, Sulkowski expanded his donations to word-search books with larger print.

“Chief Browning recently suggested we also provide adult coloring books,” Sulikowski said. So for 2023, he added about 140 coloring books to his overall donations. With the help of his brother Knights, Sulikowski also purchases boxes of crayons and washable markers at discount prices.

Sulikowski acknowledges that many other organizations, including other Knights councils, donate time and services to help veterans through the VA. “There is a whole list of things the service asks for,” he said. “PJs, shirts, pants, socks, shoes, toiletries. One single organization can’t provide all of it. We can only do so much. This is our small way of doing something.”

Browning confirmed the VA relies on many partners and community organizations to help support its veterans. “We provide head-to-toe services,” Browning explained. “We connect them with employment opportunities, housing, and other things you would not normally get from a health care organization.”

Browning concedes Sulikowski and the Knights are “particularly supportive.” He said the veterans served by the VA are not always aware of the organizations that provide these donations and services. But apparently word is getting out.

“I get thank-you letters,” Sulikowski said. “Plus I talk to several members who have worked with the hospitalized vets. They are astonished that we can provide this as a comfort for them.”