At the Student Government Association senate meeting on Oct. 13, senators passed a bill to fund a project made by LIVE Leadership to provide care packages to local homeless veterans in need.
The care packages will be made by UCCS student volunteers. Each package will include hygiene items and other basic necessities. Students will give the packages to the nonprofit organization Homeward Pikes Peak, who will then distribute the packages to local homeless veterans.
LIVE Leadership representative Collin Koonce spoke to the senate as the primary coordinator of the service project. “My group and I picked this project because we really respect our veterans, and it breaks our heart when these people have gave so much up for us, [so] we wanted to give back to them in their time of need,” Koonce said.
Koonce and his group’s goals are to “ensure our campus can get involved with this project, and that our campus can give back to the community of Colorado Springs.”
Senator of Military and Veteran Affairs Ashley Hoff sponsored the bill and said at the meeting, “As the student military and veteran SGA representative, I hope that co-sponsored events like these will help to garner more awareness and attendance our campus’ Veteran and Military Affairs office and center offers.”
The Veteran and Military Affairs Office will co-host the care package-making event and will provide conference rooms to hold the event and snacks for anyone attending.
“It is a great way to give back to the community,” Hoff said.
The event takes place at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the VMA office located on the bottom floor of Gateway Hall next to the Parking and Transportation office. Students interested in volunteering who need volunteer certificates or want to ask any questions are encouraged to reach out to Ashley Hoff at [email protected] or the VMA office at [email protected].
Photo caption: Senator Ashley Hoff and Collin Koonce propose a bill to fund a homeless veteran care package event. Photo by Lillian Davis.