The campus community will pack 100 hygiene and supply kits for veterans experiencing homelessness in the Ann Arbor area.
A warm pair of socks. A hat and gloves. A toothbrush and toothpaste. Everyday items can help meet immediate needs, especially as winter approaches.
This Veterans Day, Concordia University Ann Arbor students, staff, faculty and alumni are invited to pack 100 hygiene and supply kits for veterans experiencing homelessness in the Ann Arbor area. The project brings the campus community together to honor veterans through service on Nov. 11.
The effort began when a donor expressed interest in supporting a Veterans Day service project. Laura Nail, graduate admissions counselor, connected with Cassie Smith, homeless veteran coordinator with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, to learn which supplies would be most helpful. Smith identified needed items, with a particular focus on cold weather supplies.
The kits will include socks, hats, gloves, hand warmers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant and other essentials. Donor support and donations from the campus community are helping make the project possible. United Image Group donated the totes that will hold each kit’s contents.
Smith is coordinating distribution with local partners around Ann Arbor to get the supplies to veterans.
A shared commitment to service
“I hope students, staff, faculty and alumni are able to recognize that service is still very much a focus at CUAA,” Nail said. “This project is a small way we can help them to be warmer, safer and prepared for the cold weather this winter.”
Students are also helping with another part of CUAA’s Veterans Day observance. Annaka Zaiser and members of the Student Occupational Therapy Association are assisting with placing flags around campus.
“I hope the flag display encourages people to pause, reflect, and remember that there are individuals beyond our everyday circles who have sacrificed for the freedoms and liberties we are prone to overlook,” said Zaiser, an occupational therapy doctoral and Director of Church Ministries student. “Behind every flag is a person, a family and a story worth remembering.”
Zaiser sees that reflection as part of preparing to care for others as an occupational therapist.
“Our profession requires us to look beyond what is immediately visible and recognize the experiences and circumstances that shape a person’s life,” she said. “Taking time to reflect on the experiences of others helps us to develop a fuller worldview and empathetic outlook necessary to care for future clients holistically.”
How to help
Kit packing will take place on campus from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Anyone interested in participating should contact Erin Laverick, PhD, associate vice president of campus operations and student success, so organizers can plan for attendance. Participants will be directed to the packing area when they arrive.
All necessary supplies will be provided. Participants are also welcome to donate hats or gloves. Donation bins are available around campus, and items may be dropped off with Campus Safety before Nov. 9.
Chapel will follow the packing project, and all participants are invited to stay and worship together.
Want in?
Concordia University Ann Arbor is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world.
Click here to view a full list of the programs.