By Harlee Lucier
Purchase College's men’s lacrosse team has teamed up with Homes for the Brave for a coffee drive.
Homes for the Brave is an organization that aids in getting homeless veterans off the street and getting them the help they need to have a better life. The Panthers are hoping to collect 500 pounds of coffee and 500 cups to donate. The team was given a list of supplies the shelter needed, they decided to tackle just coffee and cups so that the organization can put that money towards other needs.
Daniel Lawrence, head coach for the men’s lacrosse team, says, “they are an amazing organization. They help homeless people get off the streets, get off drugs and alcohol and get back to work and a sustainable life.”
Homes for the Brave has two different homes located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. One home is for male Veterans and the other, called the Forgotten Hero Home, is for female veterans. Lawrence explained what the organization was, saying that they give people a place to stay, food and assist them in getting jobs. The organization takes in supplies so people can get what they need. According to Homes for the Brave website, their mission statement is “With an emphasis on Veterans, we provide the housing and services necessary to help homeless individuals return to a productive and meaningful life.”
The men’s lacrosse team has currently collected 425 cups and 180 pounds of coffee. The team would like to meet their goal by Veterans Day, November 11th. They plan to go drop off all the coffee to Homes for the Brave and tour the facility. Lawrence says this is a great opportunity for the guys to see what homelessness is.
Lawrence said, “[veterans are] a large portion of the homeless population, it’s great they’re putting a lot of their efforts there because if you can take down a large chunk that would be a huge win.”
Currently, the team is under the wire to meet their goal; though Lawrence stresses it's hard to tell if they are on track, not knowing what donations could come in tomorrow.
Men’s lacrosse player, Angus Goldman, explains how he has been getting people to donate. He said, “I would explain to them that it’s 100 percent for charity. Lots of fundraisers now have shady intentions, or aren’t fully truthful with where all the money goes. Because this is coffee and not money, it’s easy to see where all the donations show up.”
The team put together a bake sale to raise money to buy coffee for the drive. Setting up a table in the parking lot next to The Stood during one of their events, lingerie night. The guys on the team made all the baked goods, and Lawrence emphasized nothing was store-bought. The team raised about $300 and was able to go to Costco and buy 45 pounds of coffee. Some of the players were shocked at the prices of coffee today, often never having to think twice about it before. As many would normally opt for the Starbucks on campus.
Freshman lacrosse player, Aiden Thomas, said, “These people live hard lives and giving them a small amenity like coffee can make a big difference. Coffee is expensive, and not everyone can afford it.”
Goldman said the team plans to have another bake sale before they conclude the drive but have not set a date for that currently.
They have received many donations from coaches, athletes, professors on campus, and even CrossFit Norwalk.
The men’s lacrosse team has 3 core values of work ethic, brotherhood, and legacy. Lawrence explained how the coffee drive works to help reinforce those values. “We want to instill a positive legacy of the team, what better way to do that than help improve our community,” said Lawrence. “We want to have a high level of brotherhood on the team, what better way to do that than to help people that in no way shape or form are expecting to help us in return. Then work ethic, the guys have been working on this for about a month, month and a half.”
If you want to help the lacrosse team reach their goal you can reach out to Angus Goldman, to donate money through Venmo (@ angus_goldman). If you wish to donate coffee or cups email Coach Lawrence (daniel-1.lawrence@purchase.edu) or any players on the team can take your donations.