BUTTE — Students at Montana Tech decided to celebrate Veteran's Day a little earlierby bringing care packages to veterans staying at the Southwest Montana Veterans Home.
“We owe it to them. You know, if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have the rights and privileges that we do every day,” says Montana Tech student Chase Hinkley.
Three clubs on the Butte campus this week put together care packages containing games, books, snacks, and assorted creature comforts. They then distributed them at the veterans’ home in Butte. Royce Bird of the American Society of Safety Professionals came up with the idea because she admires veterans.
“I used to work with veterans in Alaska, it was part of my previous profession. It’s just a population that I enjoy working with and, so I wanted to bring it to Montana,” says Bird.
The students brought gifts to several veterans who were pleasantly surprised. Many sat and talked with the veterans. Staff at the home say it’s helpful to these elderly men to have contact with young people.
“We’ve had a lot of different youth groups come in and interact with the vets and it’s been a wonderful reaction from the men,” says veteran’s home staff member Therese Madrazo.
The students said they were glad they delivered the packages in time for Veteran’s Day.
“A lot of people don’t realize and appreciate their sacrifices that they gave for us, for all veterans active serving and past,” says Hinkley.
