In honor of President’s Day, Service Club decided to honor local, homeless veterans by curating food packages for them. It is a great injustice that those who risked their lives for our country’s freedom struggle to find basic shelter. Each and every one of these veterans are human beings with value and dignity—to see them live under such poor circumstances is a national tragedy, and most noteworthy, a tragedy that not many Lancers were aware of before this event. This article will explore the greater meaning behind this event and the significance of giving back to marginalized groups within our community.

The event kicked off on Thursday, February 13 in the Innovation Gen Lab. Board members and club participants alike brought an abundance of food, including canned goods, condiments, and seasonings. The food was packaged in brown paper bags and sent alongside the 125 cards the club had made just the prior week. MollyAnn Caulfield (’27), an active participant in Service Club events, states: “It was really gratifying to see how many people we touched even when it only took half an hour to complete. When I saw the [Instagram] post about the delivery of the packages, it was fulfilling to see how touched the veterans were.” Shruti Dusankar (’28), Service Club Treasurer, says, “This was especially enjoyable because we were able to work together quickly and assemble all these food packages for these veterans in a short amount of time, working together as a dedicated team. It felt good to be part of a team and work together.” Both Dusankar and Caulfield flawlessly summed up a key part of Service Club’s recently-published mission statement, which reads, “fostering a commitment to making a difference.” Through events such as these, both on and off campus, Lancers can make the societal changes they wish to see through acts of service. If you are able to dedicate just an ounce of your time to serving a bigger mission, you can make a larger difference and broaden your horizons. It only takes a little to go a long way.

The reasons for homelessness among veterans vary from individual to individual. These reasons often include unemployment, lack of access to benefits, and high medical expenses as a result of trauma obtained on duty. But awareness of veteran homelessness varies among individuals. Dusankar told me, “From my family, I have some sort of knowledge that veterans could be living in poverty, but I do not think [that] before this event I truly understood what they could be going through. After all the service they have given to our country, I really believe that it is important that we help and support them.” With the educational resources we have at Saint Francis, students have the great opportunity to comprehend and engage with oppressed populations. The best way to gain such worldly knowledge is through hands-on service experiences, such as the food packaging for homeless veterans event hosted by Service Club. Hopefully, clubs such as Service Club can continue to extend their reach to local, often overlooked communities.