Indianapolis Veterans benefit from dedication and drive of local Boy Scout

Following in his family’s commitment to helping homeless veterans, Straber, a Triton Central High School senior, partnered with the Indianapolis VA Medical Center this fall to help meet some of the personal care needs of more than 200 Veterans. Straber and fellow Troop 104 members from Acton, Ind. planned a donation drive to acquire much needed personal hygiene items, like soap, deodorant toothpaste and toothbrushes. 

The project brought together teams of Scouts, adult leaders from Troop 104 and other Troops, and family and friends. He developed the plan and worked for months to organize logistics for the donation drive. "The operation involved a donation site at a local gym and canvassing three neighborhoods numbering around 420 houses and interacting directly with about 30% of residents," Straber explained. "We distributed grocery bags with lists of items needed for the veterans and scheduled a pick-up date." 

In addition to gathering personal care items and snacks to put together more than 200 care kits the scouts included hand-written thank-you cards offering gratitude to the Veterans for their service and offering them words of encouragement. The estimated value of the collected donations is between $3,000 to $4,000. 

The scouts donated the kits to the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE) section of the Indianapolis VA Medical Center. “Our goal is to enhance Veteran care, and homelessness is one of the areas we assist with.” said Kiyaana Anderson, CDE Specialist,  “Specifically we work with donors who want to provide products and services to Veterans in need.” 

Straber views the project as a personal growth opportunity and hopes that it motivates other scouts to initiate similar community service projects, just as he was inspired by his own family’s volunteer work on behalf of the homeless locally at Wheeler Mission and Back on My Feet. If the project is deemed successful by troop leaders, Nicholas stands to be awarded the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout, a distinction achieved by less than 4% of Boy Scouts since the organization’s inception in 1911.

The Indianapolis VA Medical Center values the commitment of caring individuals who volunteer in support of our Veterans. If you are interested in volunteering your time or making donations, please visit www.voluteer.va.gov or email indvoluntary@va.gov.

Jessie Bien, Public Affairs Specialist

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