Every quarter counts in the drive to help homeless veterans.

Grant Deering and his Human Services group, Troops United, want your quarters.

On a cool November day, six or seven multicolored coin canisters are neatly placed in a tight row across a table along the Titan Walk at Cal State Fullerton. Students pass by during the midday rush and avoid eye contact. Caralie Kennedy, a member of Troops United, politely asks passersby to donate what they can. A few students stop by the table, fiddle around their pockets or wallets, and drop a quarter or two. But many say “No” or “I don’t carry change.” To which Kennedy replies with a smile, “That’s okay. We’ll be here tomorrow and next week!”

No donation is too small for Troops United and their fund raising event, “Quartering Our Troops”—a nod to the Quartering Acts in North American colonies that required colonial assemblies to provide food and shelter to troops deployed within each colonies’ borders.

As a class project for a Human Services course, Deering and Kennedy, along with four other Human Services students, are raising funds to benefit the largely unnoticed homeless veteran population.

This awareness, however, did not come too swiftly to Deering and his group mates. Assigned to set up a service to aid the “Troops & Veteran” community, Deering and his group had a little trouble getting started. Luckily, he picked up a local newspaper and read a front page story about David Michael Whittaker, who was once a homeless veteran and his 80-foot American flag that flew high and proud in Newport Beach. Though bound to a wheelchair, Whittaker travels to different states to bring awareness of the homeless veterans’ struggles. Deering e-mailed the story to his group and they all quickly rallied behind the cause.

After searching for organizations that support homeless veterans, Troops United came across New Directions Inc., a non-profit and community-based organization that provides comprehensive services for veterans in need including vocational training, housing assistance and substance abuse rehabilitation, as well as transitional workshops to help veterans rejoin the community. New Directions also has 156 beds in its Regional Opportunity Center in Los Angeles, where veterans get housing assistance as they get back on their feet.

With current reports putting homeless veterans at 23 percent of the national homeless population, organizations like New Directions will likely see more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Although the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs aids an estimated 100,000 homeless veterans, roughly 160,000 veterans still do not receive ample assistance, if at all. Many are male adults, though females account for 4 percent, and come from poor communities. Shelters and transitional home organizations across the country have attempted to bridge this gap, but constant community support and outreach are needed to make such organizations effective and successful.

So far, “Quartering Our Troops” is getting a positive response from students on the CSUF campus and online.

Members of the group use social networking sites and modest advertising to raise awareness and so far, it’s working. The key to their positive following? Connectedness and shared experiences.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they [the students] know someone in the military,” Deering said.

Numerous students have come up to their donation table with stories of who they know in the armed services. And this is why, with only three days of fundraising, the group has already raised approximately $500. If every student at Cal State Fullerton donated a quarter to help homeless veterans—and the campus currently has 35,000 students attending—Troops United would be able to raise over $8,000 in donations.

They hope to help fund transitional workshops, purchase computers and new software to help with job searches and training. Their efforts continue on campus this week, but the work does not stop there.

“We are going to direct our efforts toward military bases and see what kind of support we will get there,” Deering said.

Though their Human Services class ends in December and their fundraising ends early next month, Deering has hopes that this will not be the end of Troops United’s mission.

“I hope the next group of students coming in the class will pick this up and continue the fundraising,” he said.

It is a humble effort to involve the community, help give veterans access to services, and give back to our nation’s heroes—one quarter at a time.

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To contact Grant Deering of Troops United, e-mail him at futuredocgrant@hotmail.com
For more information on New Directions, Inc. and how you can help, visit www.newdirectionsinc.org

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Francesca Gacho holds a B.A. in English from Cal State Fullerton. She is an intern at Minority Dreams Magazine, where she hopes to spread her journalistic wings, explore and hone her writing ability, and gain insight into the myriad of issues in today’s soundbite-focused world. Her writing interests include human interest pieces that delve into culture, arts, current events, and community service.