December 12, 2007 – Sarah Hassan's jaw dropped when she walked into the pavilion behind the Latham Elks Club where pile upon pile of clothing was stacked.

The government’s Armed Services department provides trailers full of brand new clothing for the Elk Club’s annual StandDown program, which was held this past October. Clothing also comes from the Salvation Army and donations from area department stores.

Hassan, along with fellow students in Don Mion’s Participation in Government (PIG) class, volunteered to organize clothing and make sandwiches for the grassroots, community-based event.

“We truly do one small part, but it has to be done,” said Mion.

The local StandDown program provides hundreds of homeless veterans, their spouses and children from Albany County and beyond with a broad range of necessities, including clothing; food; medical legal and mental health assistance; and employment services; as well as companionship and camaraderie. Doug Williams, who is a member of North Colonie’s maintenance department, is a past president of the Elks Club and is instrumental in organizing the event each year.

“There's a whole gamut of services and needs available to them,” said Mion. “They can pick out clothing from head to toe.”

The only requirement is that individuals must be able to prove that they were a veteran at one point.
 

“It’s fun to watch how leaders emerge,” said Mion, who’s usually in the background, available if needed, while students take charge of the organization process. “It looks like JCPenny when we leave.”

“You can see the students feel gratified—they did something good for people,” said Mion.

Hassan said she enjoyed helping those less fortunate than herself, while also spending time with her friends.

“People assume that it’s going to be boring doing community service, but it was a really fun experience for me,” said Hassan. “You become selfless. You know these people don't have the same things that you have.”

Sometimes students return the following day during the actual event to see the fruits of their labor.

“You want to go back to see them happy—knowing that you were the cause of it,” said Hassan.