1. Engaging campuses in service to the community.
Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Impact Report: Defiance College
Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*VISTA strategically connects college resources with
communities in need. Corps members gain valuable experience and educational awards.
Campuses expand their civic outreach. And community partners receive critical support.
Poverty Alleviation Focus Area: Veterans’ Issues
History & Background For more information contact:
Northwest Ohio has been hit especially hard by the VISTA Corps member: Katrena Kugler
recession, causing many to search for jobs that (419) 783-2552 • kkugler@defiance.edu
aren’t available. Tasked with meeting veteran and job Site Supervisor: Mary Ann Studer
seekers’ needs while strengthening campus- (419) 783-2555 mstuder@defiance.edu
community ties, VISTA Corps member Katrena Ohio Campus Compact VISTA Sr. Program Director: Lesha
Farias (740) 587-8571 • lesha.farias@gmail.com
Kugler responded by developing new projects and
www.ohiocampuscompact.org
creating pathways of communication to these
targeted populations. As part of this process, Kugler
conducted a needs assessment of key community
partner organizations, particularly Northwest Ohio
Community Action Commission, Defiance Public
Library, and the local Veterans Office. Together with
Tanya Brunner, Benefits Counselor at the Veteran’s
Office, Kugler co-planned and hosted Defiance,
Ohio’s first-ever “Stand Down” for armed forces
veterans, a day set aside to connect veterans with the
benefits they are eligible for and community services
they need. “Stand Down” is a military term that
means a time set aside from daily activities to take
care of a group of people—in this case, veterans.
Defiance’s Stand Down was open to all area veterans
in Northwest Ohio; 28 organizations provided
services and resources at the United Auto Workers’
hall on Thursday, March 24th, 2011.
L-R: Tanya Brunner, Veteran’s Office; MSgt Kosinski, Marine
For Life Program; Katrena Kugler, Ohio Campus Compact
“This day held powerful meaning. As a society, we tell VISTA.
veterans that they matter to us. On this day, we lived up to Defiance College and the local Veteran’s Office
our word, with overwhelming feedback.” united to bring an event called a “Stand Down” to
TANYA BRUNNER, BENEFITS COUNSELOR, Defiance County, providing benefit eligibility
Veterans’ Office awareness to 225 veteran families in 9 counties.
Veterans came together for fellowship, healing, and
COMMUNITY IMPACT sharing of mutual experiences. 28 service providers
Participating Service Providers: attended, addressing a variety of veteran needs:
The Stand Down was an outstanding success, involving college access, health care, legal advice, homeopathic
more than 210 veterans from nine counties and from healing alternatives, massage therapy, disability
every era and branch of service. Veterans visited various assistance, free haircuts, free breakfast, lunch, and
service organizations’ and veterans’ support booths and refreshments.
were treated to free breakfast, lunch and coffee.

2. “Dooley the Clown” provided laughter and entertainment, and local
singer/guitarists serenaded attendees throughout the day. This unique The VISTA Impact
event enabled veterans to come together in fellowship, share by the numbers:
experiences, promote healing, and become aware of and access Total Estimated Attendance: 360
community resources. For example, two regional colleges provided Total Veterans: 225
information on college access and admissions; organizations offered free Veteran College Students: 5
legal services including creating living wills and healthcare power of Branch of Service: Army: 143
attorney; area salons offered free haircuts and massages; the U.S. Air Force: 15
Department of Veteran’s Affairs offices in Toledo and Fort Wayne Coast Guard: 2
provided medical care; information about benefits such as disability Navy: 36
assistance, a free tax filing program, and information on Social Security USMC: 14
were also available. Meanwhile, local veterans’ organizations were on Era of Service: Peacetime: 14
hand to answer questions. WWII: 14
Korea: 35
As a result of the event, the Veterans’ Service Commission was Vietnam: 121
inundated with requests for appointments with veterans wanting to file Gulf War: 10
for benefits for the first time —most of which they had not been aware Iraq: 12
they were eligible for prior to the VISTA-organized event. The County of Residence: Defiance: 142
Veterans’ Service Commission estimates the economic impact of the Henry: 25
event, “might very well prove a million dollar event” with the Paulding: 22
revenue generated by filings for pensions, compensation, medical Wood: 1
treatment, college benefits, nursing home pensions, burial and surviving Williams: 10
spouse benefits, and other programs. Many of the veterans Putnam: 4
would have never gone to the Veterans Office had it not Fulton: 3
been for the Stand Down event. Lucas: 2
Harding: 1
CAMPUS IMPACT
Kugler has been instrumental in introducing a new partnership between
student-run non-profit group Project 701 Open Arms Free Clinic, the About Ohio Campus Compact
local Veterans’ Office, and a faith-based non-profit, R.A.V.E.N.S. Care, AmeriCorps*VISTA
Inc. in Defiance. Through Kugler’s contacts, R.A.V.E.N.S. Care provided
the student group with not only guidelines on how to assess the needs Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide nonprofit
of clinic clientele, but also with creating a computer-based Microsoft coalition of colleges and university presidents and their
Office Access program for their patient intake information. The campuses working to promote the civic purposes of
students will refer low-income or potentially homeless veterans who higher education. Ohio Campus Compact provides
seek care to Veterans’ Office personnel, who can connect them to VA resources, services & partnerships to help Ohio
benefits. Kugler also collaborated with colleague OCC VISTA Nicholas campuses deepen their ability to educate students for
Weber on the Ohio Benefit Bank by securing in-kind support from the civic and social responsibility and to improve
Defiance Public Library system to provide the free tax filing sessions for community life.
eligible Defiance area residents during the 2011 tax season.
AmeriCorps*VISTA is the national service program
designed specifically to fight poverty. Founded as
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE: Volunteers in Service to America in 1965 and
KEEPING THE PARTNERSHIP STRONG: incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of
programs in 1993, VISTA has been on the front lines in
Opportunities for future program growth include offering Defiance
the fight against poverty in America for more than 40
College veteran students the opportunity to carry on the initiative,
years.
working with the Veteran’s Office and perhaps with the Library of
Congress’ Veterans’ History Project, collecting oral histories and The Ohio Campus Compact AmeriCorps*
memorabilia from local veterans to deepen our national archives. The VISTA Program places and supports VISTAs who
Veteran’s Outreach Project would increase education and awareness of create and expand programs designed to bring
veterans’ issues among college and high school students. individuals and communities out of poverty. VISTAs
serve in the poorest areas of their communities to
tackle poverty-related problems such as hunger and
homelessness, financial literacy, veteran student
services, public health and college access. More
information at: www.ohiocampuscompact.org