Salesianum Students Fundraise to House Homeless Vets

Salesianum Students Fundraise to House Homeless Vets

Dave Mosley, Director of the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans, speaks to attendees.

Salesianum Students Fundraise to House Homeless Vets

Approximately 1500 students from ten Wilmington area high schools donned their dancing shoes to raise funds to help the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) purchase a facility to house more homeless veterans. They danced the night away from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. on March 21-22, 2015 in the Birkenheuer Gymnasium at Salesianum in Wilmington. Students stayed awake by playing musical chairs, running three-legged races, competing in pie eating contests and racing each other through an inflatable obstacle course. This was the finale to a month long campaign by Salesianum students to raise the $200,000 DCHV needed to expand into a new building to house 15 more homeless vets. When the sun rose on March 22, the students had raised more than $145,000, with money still coming in, towards their $200,000 goal.

"When we first met with Dave Mosley, Director of the Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans, we wanted to find a way to get involved, not just from a fundraising standpoint, but by working with them and having a better understanding of their lives and needs," said Joey Bader, Salesianum Student Council President. "The moment that Mr. Mosley mentioned that they needed a larger facility and had found a home, we knew instantly that this was going to be our goal."

Each year the students at the all-boys high school spend the month of March raising monies for a cause. At a school pep rally, Mosely expressed his gratitude to the students for choosing DCHV as this year's beneficiary.

"Salesianum students wanted to show their gratitude and support for the men and women of our military," said Dan Levine of the Salesianum Student Council. "These courageous individuals have made tremendous sacrifices for a belief in this country and the principles that we hold so dear. In particular, we wanted to help lift up those heroes who have fallen."

According to Betsy Dougert, Salesianum's Director of Communications and Publications, the DCHV is a transitional living facility with a focus on reintegration of the veterans into the workforce and creating a plan for a stable living environment. Veterans may receive a number of benefits from healthcare to housing stipends. During their stay, veterans are assigned to a case counselor who can assist them in navigating the Veterans Affairs (VA) office. The funds raised will help purchase a house to increase the DCHV's reach by 15 beds.

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