The Student Veterans Organization of Syracuse University recently teamed up with the Student Veterans Association of Le Moyne College and Clear Path for Veterans to host a food drive to support local veterans.

The food drive began on Nov. 30 and will run through Jan. 15. Goods collected will be donated to Clear Path for Veterans, a community-based resource center that connects service members to necessary resources and programs to ensure they are physically and emotionally supported, according to its website.

Collection bins on the SU campus can be found in the Schine Student Center, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the Student Veterans Lounge, the Goldstein Student Center on South Campus and at University College. Jordan Robinson, the president of the SVO at SU, said the organization hopes to empty each box three times.

Once the food is donated to Clear Path for Veterans, it will supply the organization’s weekly lunches and stock its food pantry, she added.

The student veterans organizations are able to host the food drive thanks to a mini grant awarded to Hendricks Chapel by the MLK Day of Service Community Partnership Project, which was initiated by Iowa Campus Compact. Funds from the grant covered the cost of the food drive coordinator position along with various other event-related expenses, Robinson said.

The culminating event is the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lunch of Thanks, to be held on Jan. 18 at Clear Path for Veterans. The lunch is to thank veterans and veteran supporters, Robinson said.

The goal of the Lunch of Thanks is to involve people from all over the community and recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a day of giving back, according to a press release from the SVO.

The Lunch of Thanks involves student veterans, other college students, community members and community organizations. Representatives from Hendricks Chapel, the Student Veterans Organization, the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs and members of the Le Moyne College community are volunteering at the event.

The Lunch of Thanks is funded by scholarships, grants, donations and the sale of yellow ribbon “support our troops” car magnets. Magnets can be purchased for $5 at People’s Place in the lower level of Hendricks Chapel. The fundraising goal for the lunch is $1,500, according to the release.

This is the first year for the collaboration of the student veterans groups in hosting the food drive and the Lunch of Thanks, and Robinson said she would definitely like to see it turn into an annual event.

The collaboration between the SU and Le Moyne College student veterans groups arose following a veterans networking event held at SU, said Michael Venditte, vice president and co-founder of SVA.

When the SVO members decided they wanted to work with another student veteran organization, the similar philanthropic values of the SVA at Le Moyne College made them a great pair, Robinson said.

This is the inaugural year for the SVA at Le Moyne College, and Venditte said the fact that the organization was able to plan and participate in this project is a success that may lead to greater opportunities to help the community.

“Projects like this show that (veterans) can come together and work as an effective team to accomplish things — to give back to the greater community,” Venditte said.

Venditte and Robinson both said they hope the collaboration between the student veterans clubs will continue, as the groups can learn from each other and work for the greater good.

Published on December 6, 2015 at 9:25 pm

Contact Taylor: tnwatson@syr.edu