For the holidays, tens of thousands of U.S. military members fly home before their upcoming deployments, many with very little money to spend on food and long hours left to be spent in airports and airplanes. As a pilot program for Pepperdine’s service organization Waves of Service, the San Diego Waves are working to make this trip better for the United States servicemen and women traveling through San Diego’s Lindberg Field.
The San Diego Waves, a Pepperdine alumni association, is partnering with the San Diego United Service Organization to pass out 2,000 reusable cinch backpacks filled with food and drinks to servicemen and women passing through the San Diego Airport on their way to their homes across the country. If this project is successful, it could be expanded by Pepperdine to even more airports across the country.
The idea for this Waves of Appreciation project began during a breakfast discussion between Lauren Bullock, Seaver class of 2002; Andrew Cook, Seaver class of 2005; and Reed Reichart, the parent of a 2010 Seaver graduate. According to Bullock, the group had wanted to discuss what the San Diego group’s next project for Step Forward Day would be, and Reichart, given the idea after sitting next to a member of the U.S. military in the airport, suggested that the organization work with the USO to get food to traveling soldiers. “The USO was very enthusiastic about the project,” she said. “And the project took off from there.”
The bags will be distributed in the San Diego Airport during the five days before Thanksgiving and Christmas, the peak travel times for military members.
The project has already gotten clearance with the TSA to pass out the backpacks beyond the security checkpoints, allowing the recipients to take free drinks onto the flight. The San Diego Waves are also looking to local schools to write thank you notes that will be included in the bags, Bullock said.
The alumni have scheduled Nov. 12 as the day to fill the bags at a San Diego location with food, drinks and notes.
According to Waves of Service Coordinator Annalee Shelton, if the San Diego Project is successful, it could then be duplicated in chapters of Waves of Service in other locations throughout the United States. A main goal of Waves of Service is to facilitate service projects in order to increase Pepperdine’s reputation for service.
“Pepperdine alumni love to connect over service, and the San Diego Waves have come up with an innovative and effective way for alumni to come together and serve the community,” Shelton said.
The project has been very successful in its efforts to collect donations thus far, Bullock reported. Money for 2,000 cinch backpacks has been donated, which are already in the possession of the USO, waiting to be filled.
However, money for food and drinks to fill the backpacks is still needed. According to Bullock, the Waves of Appreciation project has received more than $2,500, but is looking to gather $12,000 in donations in order to fill the bags. Non-perishable snack food or drink donations will be gladly accepted as well.
“It is wonderful to know that if this project is successful, it could end up in airports around the country, helping even more servicemen and women,” Bullock said. “Although more donations will be needed to make this project a success, I feel like every time we turn around there’s something else coming together.”
Money donations can be made through the San Diego USO website with “Pepperdine Project” typed in the dedication field, or they can be sent directly to Pepperdine University, Attn: Sandra Barsoum, Office of Alumni Affairs HAC 304, 24255 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, CA 90263. Inquiries about donating food or other questions can be sent to sandiegopepperdinewaves@gmail.com.
