The Students Assisting Veterans organization was started last semester so that students could support U.S. troops overseas. The organization volunteers to help veterans and show soldiers that college students care about them.
“We volunteer at the Veterans Affairs hospitals and host veterans in active duty to talk about their experience,” said Students Assisting Veterans president Michael Dahlman.
Vice President Katherine Jones said they want to bring in veterans to show students on campus what the military is doing.
“We want to bring soldiers from Iraq to talk to kids who think it’s an abstract idea,” Jones said. “We are in a military-active area, and we need to make it apparent to more kids on campus.”
Dahlman said that the organization plans a number of activities to show troops their support, including writing letters.
“We write letters to the troops, like pen pals, for their tour of duty,” Dahlman said.
The students also raise money for Wounded Warriors, an organization that aids wounded soldiers in need.
 “We raise money for Wounded Warriors and send help to families of those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Dahlman said. “We sell T-shirts and donate the money to local family charities also.”
The organization is not official yet, but Dahlman hopes they will find an advisor and become an official organization within a month.
“We can’t host anything official on campus yet, but more people are welcome to join and we are open-minded about any idea,” Dahlman said.
Dahlman said he started the organization because he didn’t see anything else like it on campus.
“I come from a big military family, and I was disappointed that C of C didn’t have a military organization,” Dahlman said. “I want to give back to the people who have given to us.”
Support for veterans is needed and necessary, Jones said.
“Veterans need our support, moral support, and remember what they have done and thank them,” Jones said.
Dahlman said their overall goal as an organization to thank those who serve.
“As young college kids, we are thankful for the troops’ sacrifice and keeping America safe,” Dahlman said. “We are showing thanks to those who serve.”
If you are interested in joining or finding more information about Students Assisting Veterans, meetings are Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. in the third floor common area of the Stern Center. There is also a Facebook group called “Students Assisting Veterans.”