St. Paul's Lutheran Students Support the Heart of America Stand Down-- Spring 2018

Kids4vets was honored this spring to partner with the amazing student volunteers from St. Paul's Lutheran School in Concordia, Missouri. I first learned about St. Paul's Lutheran from Jill Kusel, a teacher, and regular volunteer at the Heart of America Stand Down. I first met Ms. Kusel in 2015 with her furry companion, Jessy the comfort dog, and we became fast friends. This year, Ms. Kusel invited me to visit St. Paul's Lutheran School to talk about Kids4vets and how students can help support our local veterans. After meeting the students in the gymnasium, I was surprised to learn that their school had done their own collection for kids4vets and the Stand Down. The collection was the focus of their annual Lutheran School Week charitable drive, and I was honored that they chose to support kids4vets. In total, the school brought in over 2,300 toiletries the biggest collection kids4vet has ever received. Months later, we took the toiletries to the Stand Down, and the vets were thankful for the generous donations. My family went to the Stand Down as always to volunteered alongside Ms. Kusel, while Jessy helped brighten the veterans' day.