Someone special needed to park it in the brand-new hunter green bench in front of the Post Falls Veterans Home, so resident Bob Doyle stepped right up and sat right down for the photo opportunity.

The bench was donated by River City Branch Lions Club, officers of which visited the veterans home to thank residents for their service and celebrate the presentation of this special gift.

"It means the world to us to have this," said a smiling Doyle, a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Vietnam War. "We can all enjoy the outdoors. We always need a bench, somewhere to sit."

Branch members gathered in front of the veterans home with residents and staff the afternoon of June 7. The bench was donated through the Lions' Bags to Benches program.

“We’re very excited to do this," Bags to Benches chair Lyndon Harriman said.

“And honored, too,” said his wife, Peggy Harriman, who serves as president of the River City Branch Lions Club.

The bench was made from 500 pounds of plastic collected by club members. They work with Trex, a plastic-recycling decking company, and select local grocery stores where plastic is picked up with the stores' commercial recycling and used to make composite benches.

Lyndon Harriman, a retired longtime Coeur d'Alene School District teacher, is a disabled Navy veteran who also served in Vietnam. He and Peggy shook hands with veterans home residents who joined the ceremony and thanked them for their service.

"I get where they’re coming from," Lyndon said. "Anything we can do to help them, we’re more than glad to do."

Amanda Yount, activities director for the veterans home, said the gift means family and appreciation to the residents.

"At the end of the day, they’re loved," she said. "What they’ve done for us, you can never thank them enough. It’s a small token of gratitude."