Smithtown West Juniors Help Out Veterans

Smithtown High School West DECA students Courtney Grafstein and Rachel Chapman organized a comedy-show assembly for 11th grade students in conjunction with Project 9 Line on Veterans Day Nov. 10.

Grafstein and Chapman worked with Project 9 as part of their DECA community service manual. The students also organized a food drive, which collected almost 1,000 pounds of donations as well as a movie-night fundraiser, which raised close to $700.

The juniors brought the assembly into their school so students could better understand veterans.

“Veterans don’t often ask for help after they return from war, because they are so used to helping others,” said Grafstein, who decided to work with the organization after meeting representatives at a DECA Leadership Conference. “Project 9 Line helps these veterans heal through humor, the arts and entrepreneurship and integrate themselves back into society.”

Caption: Smithtown High School West DECA students Courtney Grafstein and Rachel Chapman, along with Smithtown School District’s CTE chairperson, Christine LoFrese, organized an assembly featuring Project 9 Line, a group that helps veterans integrate back into society after returning from war, on Nov. 10.

Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District.