Norfolk State Collects Food and Personal Items for Homeless Veterans
Effort gives back to those who have served
In support of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Norfolk State University is sponsoring a food and veterans supply drive on Saturday, November 10, from 9 a.m. to noon. The nonperishable food and personal hygiene items will be donated to the Norfolk State University Spartan Food Pantry and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Stand Down program, located in Hampton, Virginia.
According to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, it is difficult to pinpoint the number of homeless veterans nationwide. However, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that 40,056 veterans are homeless on any given night. Additionally, the coalition reports that homeless veterans have served in World War II, the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Grenada, Panama, Lebanon, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan and Iraq (OEF/OIF), and the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts in South America. Nearly half of homeless veterans served during the Vietnam era. Two-thirds served our country for at least three years, and one-third were stationed in a war zone.
Melvin T. Stith Sr., Ph.D., Norfolk State’s interim president, is proud of the role that Norfolk State is taking in supporting homeless veterans. READ MORE>>