Community stands up for veterans, homeless
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Volunteers, services and donations are sought to assist with the homeless, almost homeless and unemployed veterans and their families.
The Nov. 5 effort, called "Stand Down," will be based at Central Presbyterian Church, 31 N. Seventh St. in Lafayette and run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It launches the community's contribution to the White House Interfaith Initiative for Campus and Community. The Stand Down is also the kick-off event for Veteran Appreciation Week.
Examples of services needed include counseling, blood pressure screening, nutrition counseling, physical exams, vision screening, dental screening, hearing checks and veterinary services. Other needs include consumer skills guidance, financial counseling, job finding help or resume writing assistance. Businesses are encouraged to consider discounts for veterans and their families to show their appreciation.
Volunteers are asked to commit at least a half day to help at the food pantry, handle registration or help veterans who need assistance. Donation drives for items such as bus passes, phone cards, gently used toys and clothing (infant through adult), blankets, sleeping bags, tents, and food are possibilities. Volunteers who can help set up are needed the day before the event from noon to 5 p.m. as well as the day of the event. Others are needed to register; tear down; help with breakfast, snacks and lunches; sort; drive; and clean the area after the event.
Also on Nov. 5, the Interfaith Engagement Coalition will provide winterization assistance to underserved homes in the community. This project pulls in the decade-old annual winterization project led by Wesley Foundation into the initiative, and it is expected to involve 500 student volunteers who will serve more than 100 homes.
"In the past, Stand Downs have afforded battle-weary soldiers the opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being during deployments," says Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, associate dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, director of the Military Family Research Institute and director of the Center for Families. "Today, Stand Downs for homeless veterans allow respite from the combat of homelessness."
Several individuals at Purdue are helping organize the effort. Students or student groups can sign up through the Boiler Volunteer Network's website at https://www.purdue.edu/odos/bvn/welcome.php
Other volunteers can phone the BVN's Diane Richey at 765-496-2450 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays) or contact Martina Mohrbacher, MFRI Operation Diploma outreach specialist, at 765-494-9878, mmohrbac@purdue.edu.
Those wanting to raise funds or conduct food or clothing drives should contact Martina Sternberg, MFRI assistant director, at 765-496-3469, mstermbe@purdue.edu.
Businesses that want to participate in Veterans Appreciation Week by providing discounts to veterans and their families should contact Sandra Dye, MFRI community outreach specialist, at 765-496-6045.
Donated goods can be dropped off at the Forty & Eight, located at Greenbush Street and Creasy Lane.
Stand Down is part of yearlong national community service initiative with a two-pronged plan that will assist military veterans, current military personnel and their families, while using those activities and others as an occasion to strengthen interfaith relations. Purdue, along with 250 other colleges and universities, has joined the effort following a challenge by the White House.
MacDermid Wadsworth and Harry Brown, Boiler Volunteer Network director, represented the recently formed Purdue Interfaith Engagement Coalition at an Aug. 3 White House gathering of campus groups selected for the initiative. Brown is coordinator of the local coalition. Coalition leadership also comes from the University Religious Leaders organization, led by the Rev. Lana Robyne, co-director of Wesley Foundation, a campus ministry. Also participating in leadership are the Office of the Dean of Students, International Students and Scholars, Black Cultural Center, Muslim Student Association, Dialogue International, and Hillel Foundation.
On and around campus, the coalition will provide two series of interfaith activities. One series will have social activities on the theme of "together," ranging from "The Fun of Playing Together" to "The Courage of Standing Together on Freedom Riders" with the Black Cultural Center. The second series, called "Tea, Texts and Traditions," will consist of interfaith discussions on such themes as theology, religious history, gender, war and peace, ethics, and power. Collaborating in the initiative are the Office of the President, the vice president for student affairs, the vice provost for diversity and inclusion, ROTC, and numerous others.
Purdue's programs to meet the national challenge are designed to take advantage of existing strengths and meet strategic goals. MFRI is a national leader in military and veteran families. The institute's Operation Diploma, among other efforts, exemplifies the university's engagement across Indiana. Purdue also has among the largest international enrollments of any U.S. university - it has risen to 7,934 this fall - providing both an opportunity and a challenge to provide mutual exposure that enhances understanding of diverse heritages.
"Shared service opportunities, along with social activities and discussions, provide a good way for people to overcome initial uncertainties and learn to appreciate each other," Brown says.
As part of the statewide network undertaking the national Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, Purdue's Military Family Research Institute will help conduct Battlemind to Home, a symposium on Nov. 16 and 17 in Indianapolis for those who work with veterans and military families in various roles from legal to educational to pastoral.
Other fall and spring semester projects are being planned. Springtime's Boiler Blast, a major volunteer project, will focus on military and veteran families and the agencies that serve them. There also will be opportunity for organizations to develop projects and compete for funds to carry them out.
Sources: Martina Sternberg, msternbe@purdue.edu
Harry Brown, 765-496-2450, 765-413-7997, hebrown@purdue.edu
Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, 765-496-3403, Shelley@purdue.edu
Rev. Lana Robyne, chair of University Religious Leaders, 765-743-5066, lana@wesleyfoundation.org
Related website:
Military Family Research Institute page about the Stand Down: