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Soldiers' Angels help veterans in San Antonio

Campos used to be on the receiving end of Soldiers' Angels events just like the mobile food distribution. Later, he was given an internship, and now he is the group's outreach coordinator.

SAN ANTONIO — Some days, you never know when an angel will appear. But on an overcast day in a San Antonio parking lot, angels can be seen everywhere you look.

“It's that giving spirit,” Soldiers’ Angels Outreach Coordinator David Campos said. “And that volunteer spirit. When I come to a place like this, my smile goes from ear-to-ear. And my grin, I can't stop smiling all day."

And the smiles are contagious. Soldiers’ Angels is the organization, and on this day 200 veterans are driving through a veterans food distribution line to pick up 50 pounds of food.

"What a lot of people don't realize,” Campos said, “is that when you come back out of the military, you know... who's there to take care of you? It's real hard, because a lot of these families don't have a plan and they're not ready to transition.”

David Campos knows this transition all too well. A San Antonio native, Campos trained as a combat medic in Military City's Fort Sam Houston. After two separate deployments to Iraq, he came back home.

"When I transitioned,” Campos added, “it was a rocky transition for me. I hit the bottom pretty hard, but this organization picked me up and showed me how to be a professional. They have become my family."

Campos used to be on the receiving end of Soldiers' Angels events just like the mobile food distribution. Later, he was given an internship, and now he is the group's outreach coordinator.

"I always knew that my purpose was to help,” Campos said with a smile. “That's what I was put on this Earth for, to help. I didn't know in what capacity, but to be under a wing like Soldiers' Angels... it makes everything worth it.”

And now, David and these other volunteers are Angels for someone else.

"I'm glad,” Retired Sergeant First Class Ruben Rocha said, “because I can see the rest of the veterans. I have family veterans that know the program. They actually care. They're not just talking."

"When you provide a service to them and provided them with a direction,” Campos said, “you can help them and they thank you. When you hear them shed tears over the phone, then yes, it's worth it. That's the day."

To learn more about how to get involved with Soldiers' Angels, click here.

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