FORT BELVOIR, Va. (NOV. 27) -- Students visiting from New York served lunch to active duty Soldiers at the USO Warrior and Family Center Friday.
About 110 active duty Soldiers ate free tacos, muffins, beans and salad during the event, according to K.J. Stevens, USO programs coordinator. The students, from Bishop Kearney High School in Brooklyn, N.Y. served the Soldiers during a trip that included a visit to a nearby nursing home serving military veterans.
Pfc. Teddy Wilson, Warrior Transition Unit, said it was overwhelming to see the students serving the food.
"It is very much appreciated," he said. "I know there are a lot of people here, they are broken. They can't make food for themselves. Being able to come here and interact with other people and get out of the room is very nice."
The students served the food under the Your USO's Meal program, sponsored every second and fourth Friday for active duty military personnel. The menu for the event changes every time.
Patricia Hynes-Farragher, physical education teacher at Bishop Kearney High School, helped organize the trip. The students visited the USO last year and the response was overwhelmingly positive. The teenagers were very excited to help serve the Soldiers, she said.
Hynes-Farragher said it was very rewarding to see the students helping the servicemembers.
Brittany Rivera, 17, of Queens, N.Y. smiled as she served the Soldiers. Her 22-year-old brother is a member of the Navy who is currently deployed overseas.
Rivera appreciated the opportunity to help the Soldiers that came to the YUM lunch.
"I don't think I can put it into words," she said. "It is awesome. I think of my brother all of the time."
She also said that everyone at the USO was kind. It was great to visit the USO building and interact with the Soldiers.
"The guys are very nice," Rivera said. "It is a good experience. We have fun here."
The trip to the USO will give the students a chance to receive student service learning hours, according to Claire Razza, a mathematics teacher at Bishop Kearney High School. She said the students were in the Washington, D.C., area for about three days during their trip.
Razza said it was important to instill in the teenagers the importance of serving their community. She said that they are very anxious to provide assistance.
Julia Martocci, 17, a Brooklyn native, served muffins during the event. The entire trip helped to bring so many of the students closer together, she said. There were tears in a lot of the students' eyes when they recently visited a nursing home.
Martocci said that it was amazing to be a part of the YUM lunch and to help the Soldiers.
"There is no way to thank them," Martocci said. "Just being there, and seeing the smiles on their faces, is so nice."
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