APF Blog: A Summer in Service of Veterans

Author: Haroon Imtiaz is a graduate student at New York University pursuing an MS in Global Affairs

I took a class on the future of war in my second semester at New York University. The course was designed to introduce students to the ways in which many of our predecessors imagined the future of war, and also served to highlight the future changes anticipated by current scholars and military leaders regarding the wagers of war, their technology, and their methods.

An element that we touched on was the cost of war and how human beings have shouldered its burden since time immemorial. The notion got me thinking more about American men and women abroad, those who are serving and sacrificing daily, as well as those who have done so in the past and have returned. I began to feel deeply for them—especially those who had returned with physical or psychological conditions as a result of their duties. Hearing stories about former servicemen who had trouble adjusting to civilian life was tough for me, but it also sparked a willingness to help.

That is why, at the end of the semester, I decided to get in touch with a veterans support center in my home state of Michigan and see what I could do to help. After speaking with a staff member and telling him a bit more about myself, I was allowed a role on the administrative team as a health and wellness assistant.

As I began learning about the services offered by the support center, I was amazed by the work that was being done. The center served as an information hub, providing guidance to veterans and their families, including visitors. It informed them of the healthcare benefits that could be pursued by veterans and their families; it worked to inform visitors of how they could help, be it through sponsoring families or even donating food; it provided medical supplies, clothing, and personal care materials to hospitals housing veterans. It even hosted events to provide community and friendship to those in need.

And what moved me the most, in the midst of all this, was that the center was run almost entirely by veterans. When I mentioned this to an elderly man who had served in Vietnam and the Gulf war, he told me that service does not end when someone leaves the military, but it extends throughout a lifetime. This spirit of charity was inspiring and made me proud to work alongside them.

As the days passed, I grew more accustomed to my role. A typical day for me included greeting and welcoming guests, updating contact lists, handouts, and brochures, and explaining what services were being offered by the center. On some days I was asked to help prepare emergency food services for veterans who were struggling to provide for themselves and their families, and this was an incredibly rewarding experience for me.

I was also able to act as a liaison between the support center and a veterans hospital in Detroit, by handling a checklist of supplies that had to be routinely delivered to the hospital. I participated directly in packing supplies sent towards housing troubled veterans, and that is why I had to be careful as well. I was told to verify that no sharp objects had fallen into the supplies, as there had been incidents of self-harm reported in the past. Upon hearing this, I remember feeling shaken, but a volunteer reminded me that our services were much appreciated by those at the hospital. And at that time, it was something I needed to hear.

The whole experience was one I benefited tremendously from. It opened my eyes to the work being done to improve the lives of veterans and expanded my own knowledge of some of the challenges they face. It also demonstrated that students like me could make a difference in uplifting some of those who need our help most.

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