Abstract
In this article, Kelsey Herwick, a graduating senior in dietetics and nutrition, fitness, and health, describes her experience with Stand Down. The first ever Stand Down event occurred during the Vietnam War and had the purpose of giving soldiers in combat time to eat warm meals, attend to personal hygiene needs, and tend to any medical needs (MFRI, n.d.a). Over time, Stand Down has become an event that has the purpose of giving veterans a break from homelessness. A group of 14 nutrition science students from Purdue University planned and served at a booth for the Lafayette Stand Down event, which is organized by the Military Family Research Institute. The Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science booth provided lentil soup in a jar, tote bags, trail mix, and recipe books for the veterans to take with them. The children’s booth included educational nutrition activities with fruit snacks and granola bars for prizes. The November 2015 Lafayette Stand Down event was a successful event where over 130 veterans were served. The service project proved to be a very valuable experience for the student volunteers, as well, because it opened their eyes to the prevalence of veteran homelessness in the Lafayette area.
Recommended Citation
Herwick, Kelsey
(2016)
"Stand Down for Veterans: The Impact of Volunteerism on Student Learning,"
Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement: Vol. 3
:
Iss.
1,
Article 12.
DOI: 10.5703/1288284316191
Available at:
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/pjsl/vol3/iss1/12
DOI
10.5703/1288284316191
