“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you cannot help them, at least don't hurt them.” - Dalai Lama.I picked this quote because it captures the significance of the project I did and how I feel about the less fortunate in general. We helped veterans get a feel for the holiday spirit and maybe lessened the amount of time at which they would be hungry by sending an abundance of snacks and meals. I learned a lot of things over the course of this project I found that veterans helped more than they received help, people who deserve compassion and love, why not give to the people who most deserve it yet never get any.
I did the five days of food for veterans and the holiday Christmas presents for veterans, I had the chance to do just one project but I felt like I have never really helped a veteran, so I felt obligated to do two projects. When me and my mom went shopping for the five days of food for veterans we made sure to not get generic brands because it was for a holiday, so we wanted the food to bring them some joy, we bought name brand snacks and can foods and breakfast bars so that it would be almost like a breakfast, lunch and dinner, unless they split it up, we also made sure not to buy more than one of the same thing so they could trade if they did not like something they got.
I hope the gifts and food we sent went to the people who would most appreciate them, the food we sent should hold over the veterans with some good snacks for a while. The bed supplies we sent should keep them cozy and comfortable all winter long, plus the stylish slippers we got for them to rock should turn some heads at the veteran village. The project impacted me helping me realize how hard things really could be for me and how I need to keep going to school so I never end up in a place where I have to rely on people I know I can not rely on like my fellow Americans.
All in all, this project made me realize a few things. One of the things I learned was people are often poor because they had a disadvantage most people did not have so therefore could not be an active member in society, thus plummeting down to living in community housing with others alike, in this case most veterans live in veteran villages. Everybody should donate canned goods each holiday to keep them stocked up, anything could be everything.
The second thing I learned was veterans deserve more respect than most people on account that they went to fight for our country in another country, risked their lives so we did not have too and came back to worse conditions than when they left. So in the least they deserve every Americans gratitude and a little way too live supported by the people they protected.
The third and last thing I realized while thinking was veterans are not crazy. I used to think veterans went crazy after going to war, that when they had come back they still remembered all the deaths and killings, but it does not make them crazy. Sometimes people just need a little help or support, I hope the little bit that our family contributed helped a veteran have peace of mind for a night or two. That would make me happy. Society has to learn how to deal with both of these mental impairments and treat them accordingly to keep our veterans comfortable with life.
Veterans are human beings, yet are being treated poorly with low level budget programs controlled by the government, while we still pump money to a war that churns out more veterans that come back to nothing just to start the process over again, it almost never ends because nobody except the veterans will stand up against an unfair and unjust system of hypocrisy. Rising to the occasion by going out shopping for veterans over the holidays or donating whatever canned goods out of your pantry or even taking your piggy bank or loose change from your car and donating it to veterans through a local charity.
Below are some pictures I took of the groceries for veterans before we packed them up for delivery. I forgot to take pictures of the Christmas presents, but I know some veterans will be enjoying super large towels, soft sheets, a warm blanket, stylish slippers, a good looking bathrobe, a gift card for some junk food at McD’s and a box of fancy chocolates this Christmas!
