AMH2020 student* “When
autumn darkness falls, what we will remember are the small acts of kindness: a
cake, a hug, an invitation to talk, and every single rose. These are all
expressions of a nation coming together and caring about its people.”
- Jens
Stoltenberg
I am in Army ROTC at FSU so I decided
that since I will become an officer in about 3 years, I will do something that
has to do with veterans. What better veterans to help than homeless veterans? I
chose to help homeless veterans because those could possibly be my future
soldiers someday, living on the streets. I would hate for soldiers that I
command to be living on the streets and then not even be helped by people. I
want to be a leader, and one of the best ways to lead is by example, and one
example is by serving those in need.
I’m going to be leading soldiers in
the future and I want to teach them valuable life lessons so that hopefully
none of my men or women will have the misfortune of ending up homeless. So many
of our veterans have given so much to our nation’s freedom and we can not do
enough to pay them back. In our current times it is sad to see how poorly
soldiers are being treated by Americans who hate their own country. Every time
you see a veteran, you should thank them for their service, because you never
know what they had to give up serving our country and you never know how poorly
they had been treated in the past.
Some veterans either retire from the
military or get honorably discharged due to an injury and since the Veteran
Affairs is a horrific government mess, the veterans are either not helped at
all or not helped soon enough. Many of these veterans are left homeless or
sometimes dead as a result of slow government service. The government and more
specifically the Veteran Affairs should be more efficient and work on speeding
up processes that can be critical to a veteran living or dying. Veterans should
be made a priority in America because they give so much and we give so little
in return.
In my American history class I was
assigned to do a service project and I was excited because I actually enjoy
serving. I chose to give everyday household supplies to the Tallahassee
Veteran’s Village which helps homeless veterans from every branch of the
military to get back on their feet in about two years. Every six months or so,
new homeless veterans come to stay at the temporary housing and they can get
help to get jobs and get back on their feet.
I talked to my teacher and she told
me that I should get everyday household items for the new veterans that come in
every six months. So I went grocery shopping and bought a bunch of stuff that
will be helpful for supplying some veterans with some basic needs. Some of the
things I bought were toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, shaving cream,
razors, laundry detergent, paper towels, dish soap, shampoo, etc. These items
went to the Veteran’s Village to supply the new veterans with some of their
basic supplies and essentials.
My major is Exercise Physiology and I
chose that major in order to become a Physician Assistant. As a Physician
Assistant I can use my skills to help people in need when I do mission trips
and serve people in the community. I feel like this will impact the homeless
veterans in this community. Because by donating supplies to the Veteran’s Village
it helps the village stay open, which helps homeless veterans in need to get
the help that they need to get back on their feet. When homeless veterans are
able to get jobs and support themselves, they are able to give back to the
community themselves. When we help people in need, like homeless veterans, it
gives us a chance to help the community as a whole.
I’ll be proud to be serving my
country in the future as I become an officer, and I look forward to looking
after my soldiers to see that they are prepared for the battlefield and at home
when they retire. I want to be sure that my soldiers are educated and ready to
become civilians so that they can get jobs and not become homeless like so many
misfortunate men and women. I look forward to helping out and serving my
community and country in the future!
