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Hello fellow warriors,

This post is aimed to the warriors here who live in the U.S. Moderator, it is not meant to be political in nature at all.

We have all seen sales letters where the person promoting the product says they are doing it to "give back" and that is why they are offering product x for such a bargain price.
I challenge all U.S. Warrior Forum members to think about giving back in a tangible way. How? Give back and show thanks by supporting one of the many veteran's assistance programs. If it weren't for the veterans who answered the call, we would not have the freedoms we have today.

I don't want to start any kind of controversy over this war or that, just think what veterans have done for you and the sacrifices they made. Many of them continue to suffer from the effects of their service in a combat situation. The next time you go shopping, and there is someone collecting for a veterans support group, at least give them the courtesy of saying hello and thank them for their service.

Are there "spam" organizations out there? Of course there are! A legitimate organization will be registered as a 501(3)c non-profit with the IRS. Even then, that is no guarantee that the money they collect will go to help the vets. Some organizations "eat up" as much as 85% or more of what is collected in "overhead"; big salaries to the people running it. All I am asking is to do your own due diligence, and if you see fit to donate, then please do!

I have encountered a group that started off as just trying to feed some homeless vets, and has expanded into an organization with several chapters. Each chapter spends the funds they receive in their own area. They put homeless vets to work in their organization; some are telephone fund raisers who can then get a "real" job as a telemarketer. Some drive trucks to pick up donated goods, they often go on to get a job as a truck driver. Some of the chapters have thrift stores and use the vets to stock shelves, catalog inventory, run a cash register etc. This hands on training prepares them for employment in the private sector.

Most vets are not asking for a hand out, but rather a hand up. They put themselves in harms way for our benefit, I think the least we can do is find an organization in the area in which we live to support the local vets. I am not even going to express my opinion about the need for these organizations, except to say that they exist and serve a good purpose.

If you want the url of the organization I am referring to, please just PM me. I don't want to list a url here because I don't want to run afoul of the rules. Again, to the moderator, if you feel this is an inappropriate post, please delete it and let me know (hopefully without banning me). It is not intended as a political topic, just a call to action to my fellow warriors here.
Thanks,
Steve
  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Steve, I appreciate your attitude. A Golden Corral restaurant opened here a few years back and they give veterans free meals on Veterans Day. It was the first time anyone ever thanked me for my service to our country. Meant a lot, even though I wasn't in a war. All service men and women make sacrifices to serve, whether in war or peace times.

    I know there are a lot of veterans here and people who appreciate their service. If it seems like your post is being ignored, it's probably because it looks like a wall of text. You need to put space between your paragraphs to make it easier to read or you'll lose people. They see the wall, they click away.

    Thanks for your post. My wife and I do give to veteran causes, but other than the poppy program, it's causes we seek out. That's the best way to maximize your gifts, IMO. Started doing that after I learned that one organization I donated to spent only 25% of the donations on the actual cause. The rest was spent on salaries, fund raising, and overhead. Not a very good use of my money, IMO.
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    • Profile picture of the author sasglobal
      Dennis,
      Thanks for the comment about it being a "wall of text". Please read the edited version and let me know if it is more readable.

      From one vet to another thanks for your service. I too am impressed by Golden Corral, that is a corporate policy to give vets and active duty free dinners on Veterans' Day.

      It's funny, I have NEVER been employed at a place that even mentions Veteran's Day.

      If I ever get to the point of hiring people on a full time basis, any vet who works for me will get Veterans' Day off with full pay!

      Again, thanks for the comments.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    Steve - yes, that's much easier to read. I thank you for your service too.

    I have to drive about 17 miles to go to Golden Corral, but we go there frequently, in part because of their veterans treatment. Funny thing, I've only made it for one free meal, so their getting a lot of mileage out of that one with me.
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