ERPE is happy to share a great experience…
Together with our Danville Rotary Club, we set out to make & serve breakfast local Veterans
It seemed small. We showed up at 5:30am Saturday at the Alameda County Fair Grounds to prepare breakfast for what might have been 500 Bay Area veterans. It was dark out, but the lights were on as we made pancakes, eggs and ham for many of these people who are homeless and “at-risk” veterans. With our Rotary club, we joined East Bay Stand Down to help support their program to help veterans. The organization provides veterans in many needed ways. East Bay Stand Down offers health care, clothing, legal services and more to struggling veterans. The program started last Thursday and runs through tomorrow at the County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton.
I left feeling differently. It was a big event. The Vet’s were grateful.
We were assigned to the mess hall where we put on hair-nets and aprons… well, Greg wore a hair-net 🙂
Organizers say the phrase “stand down” is significant.
“It’s a military term for getting out of the war zone and relaxing,” said Ron Lowe, executive director for the program. “Well, they get out of the war zone of the streets. “Even the pets … cleaned up, fed well and that sort of thing.”
More than 1,000 volunteers took part in the program that served hundreds of veterans from around the Bay Area.
It was our pleasure to be a small part of this big effort. We served some truly needy and honorable men and women who have given a lot to our country.