The Veterans Club on campus is open to the community and is ready to serve.

“The veterans club is not about being a veteran,” said Anthony Mucciacciaro, the club president. “It is about supporting Veterans in our Community.  Regardless of your background or history we are a welcoming club.”

Muccuaciaro wants students to know, “Our focus is to bring awareness to the community and to live the idealistic values of veterans which are service to your community and country and that is what we strive for.”

Roy David, the club treasurer, said that having veterans, military affiliated and non military members in the club helps create an understanding between military and nonmilitary students on campus.  He says it helps build a stronger sense of community.

“Sometimes the military can take a mental toll on you. That can be a challenge sometimes to switch mentally from everything they went through in their career then to come out and try to function in the civilian world,” said David.

This is the club’s second year back on campus and it is quickly gaining members. However, Mucciaciaro relayed that “It isn’t about the size your community it is how effective you are in it. That’s why our numbers don’t matter in this club because even if we only have eight people we will tackle the same stuff because of that mentality.  It is not about how many people we have, it’s about how effective we can be.”

Members of the club meet twice a month and receive emails and updates about upcoming events which they can participate in to help reach veterans in need.  Activities include both group projects and solo opportunities where students can branch out on their own and volunteer in local programs set up to help vets.

The next big event that club members are working, starting Nov. 5,  will be collecting donations to make care packages for the homeless.  They will be collecting hats, toothbrushes, toothpaste and several other items.  Their goal is to collect enough items for at least fourty care packages.  The care packages will go to local homeless people in need.

The Veterans club is about community outreach and helping veterans and their families. The idea that “You don’t have to be veteran to help” resounds within the club.  

Mucciaciaro said, “Having individuals who have no experience with the military helps our veterans get better acclimated to our society, but it also helps our non-veterans who are a part of the club have some experience in mentorship with some of our veterans.”