BH Stands Up for Stand Down

The concept of war veterans being homeless probably doesn’t even occur to most Americans. However, nonprofit organizations across the country have recognized this issue and have created a way of helping these vets in need with something called Stand Down.

    This program provides health services to veterans in need and also provides them with necessities that most people take for granted, like clothing and a toothbrush. The Capital Region held its Stand Down Day on September 29th, busing homeless vets from Albany to the Colonie Elks Club, with help from Shaker and Burnt Hills students on the 28th.

Veterans in need receive food, clothes, and medical
attention at a Stand Down

    When Burnt Hills Participation in Government students arrived at the clubhouse, they were excited to be missing school and not too concerned with what they were missing it for. However, when the event coordinator, Doug Williams, stepped onto the bus to give an overview of what the students would be doing, the atmosphere quickly became serious.

He talked about how when the troops that fought in the Vietnam War returned home, they were not welcomed warmly like soldiers are today, but instead received hate from people who opposed the war. He explained how this “messed many of the soldiers up,” after going through the horrors of war, they came home to find that all they had done wasn’t even appreciated by the country they were fighting for.

    American veterans have been through more than most people can imagine and Stand Down is a way of showing the vets that their service was appreciated. Williams went on to tell the students that last year, the medical students who give the veterans check-ups found that two of them had AIDS.  Imagine what they could have done for them if they had caught the AIDS sooner, said Williams.

    Jack Dahlin, a volunteer from Burnt Hills agreed that Williams’ speech really opened his, and the rest of the students’ eyes to the personal consequences of war . Dahlin said, “The coordinator really instilled a lot of great values in us before the volunteering, teaching us about the hardships these veterans were going through.”

    Dahlin then went on to explain what role he and his classmates played at the charity event. “I helped set up medical dividers with a group of students from BH-BL. Honestly, I thought the students did a tremendous job, setting up in a proficient and helpful manner,” he said.

    Aside from setting up dividers, volunteers also moved tables and chairs, sorted clothing, and made sandwiches for the next day’s affairs. BH students worked diligently and did everything they were told to do, definitely outworking the Shaker students, (who were spotted lounging and listening to music) despite having less volunteers.

    As a reward for their hard work, Brian Kane, the faculty advisor for the trip declared that all Burnt Hills volunteers would receive 35 points toward their community service assignment, 10 points higher than what they had expected. The real reward though, seemed to come in the form of giving back to the community. Dahlin confirmed this by saying, “Volunteering was such a great experience for me personally. It really felt like our group did a lot to better the health of veterans in need.”

    You can visit www.va.gov/homeless/standdown.asp for more information on veterans in America and for upcoming Stand Down days.