Dec 2, 2021 Oro Valley Post 132  Supplemental Newsletter.

Post 132 Veterans Charities Information.

Dear Post 132 Member. If you are considering making an end-of-year donation to a charity that benefits veterans and their families, the following Veterans Charities information may be of interest. But first, a self-serving Post 132 promotional plug 😇. I think that you will be surprised and very impressed so please read. 

Post Recognition (since our formation in 2009) In 2012, the Post and the Auxiliary Unit were recognized as the “Outstanding Community Partners of the year” by the Arizona National Guard. The recipient of this prestigious award is selected from among the hundreds of Arizona National Guard civilian community partners from across the state. In 2013, Post and Auxiliary Unit received the U.S. National Guard Washington Bureau’s “Outstanding Community Partner of the Year” award. It is the only time an organization from Arizona has received the prestigious national award. In 2014, 2015, 2018 and again in 2019, the Post was honored by the Tucson Veterans Serving Veterans Alliance as the “GO TO” Veterans Service Organization” for its “Exemplary and Steadfast Care and Assistance of Veterans in Need”. In 2016, the Post and Auxiliary received the “Community Partner of the Year’ award from the Arizona National Guard Western Army Aviation Training Site (WAATS) Battalion in Marana, AZ.

List of Post 132 sponsored and supported programs (financial support and volunteers):

1. National Guard and Reserve Support and Emergency Assistance (A Post signature program). 

2. Education and Community Safety.

• • OVPD Explorer Cadet Academy (program provides law enforcement career orientation experiences, leadership opportunities, and community service activities).

  • The 100 Club of AZ (provides financial assistance to families of first responders who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.

3. Americanism and Youth.

• • Flags for Eagle Scouts (American flags flown over the nation’s capital in the Scout’s honor).

  • Boys State (participatory program in which students take an active role in the operation of local, county and state government).        

  • Oratorical High School Scholarship Contest (U.S. Constitution knowledge-based).

  • Flowing Wells High School JROTC. 

  • American Legion Baseball Team (team comprised of players from local high schools).

  • Ironwood Ridge H.S. Veteran Heritage Project (students record veterans’ service stories in a book and provide transcripts to the National Archives Dept.).

4. VA/Rehabilitation (Veteran and Family Assistance).

5. Emergency Assistance for Veterans and their Families.

·         Heroes to Hometowns. programs (Thanksgiving Turkeys to Troops and Backpacks for Military Kids).

·         American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund (provides college scholarship money to children of post 9/11 veterans who died on active duty or who have a VA disability rating of 50% or higher).

·         Community partner of Tucson Stand Down (care and assistance resource events for homeless and At-Risk veterans and their families).

·         Comfort and entertainment items to patients at the Tucson VA medical center.

·         M1s for Veterans shooting program (therapy program for wounded veterans.

·         Boulder Crest Retreat (for Veterans suffering PTSD and their family members).

·         Comfort and entertainment items to residents of State Veterans Home.

·         Prepare meals onsite for quests and staff at the Tucson Fisher House. A place of lodging for family members of veterans receiving care at the Tucson VA.

·         Visit Veterans in hospice and nursing homes.

·         HUD-VASH Tucson Homeless Vet program.

5. Community Outreach.

·         Wreaths Across America (Remembrance Wreaths placed at Veterans’ interment sites).

·         Collection of unserviceable American flags (8 collection boxes placed throughout the community. More than 3000 flags collected each year).

·         American Overseas Gravesite Association (private organization dedicated to honoring and preserving the gravesites of American service members buried in isolated graves throughout Europe).  

·         Missing in America Project (a Veterans Cremains Recovery Program. To locate, identify and inter, with full military honors, the unclaimed remains of veterans).

·         An active Color/Honor Guard recognized for spreading patriotism throughout the community and remembering and honoring deceased veterans.

·        Annual Flag Day Ceremony and Tucson Veterans Day Parade.

I knew that you would be impressed. 

Now the charity information that you have been waiting for: 

Think you know where your money is going? Only a very small percentage of all charities have an A rating. The majority of charities deliver less than 50 cents, of every dollar donated, to the intended beneficiaries. That drops precipitously for charities that advertise on TV or use frequent mailings. A good charity research source is https://www.charitynavigator.org/.

Not listed in any particular order, a few highly-rated charities that benefit service members, veterans, and their families. 

• The Armed Services YMCA, 4 Star: Provides free or low-cost youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility programs for junior enlisted military & their families to make military life easier. https://www.asymca.org .

• American Legion Oro Valley Post 132: Always a good choice. 100% of donations (tax-deductible) go to the Post’s award-winning programs which benefit local veterans and service members in need, children, and youth and promote traditional American values. Post members can also make donations to the American Legion Oro Valley Post 132 as an IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Members have asked if they can make tax-deductible donations online. Yes, go to the Post’s website www.ovamericanlegion132.com and click on the yellow “Donate” button and complete the process.

• Wounded Warriors Family Support, 4 stars (this is NOT the Wounded Warrior Project charity advertised on TV): provides support to the families of those who have been wounded, injured, or killed during combat operations. Wounded Warriors Family Support improves the quality of life of military families through programs like caregiver respite, family retreats, mobility-equipped vehicles, job training, combat-wounded parking signs, and assistance with unmet needs. www.wwfs.org

• Our Military Kids, 4 stars: provides support in the form of grants to the children of National Guard and Military Reserve personnel who are currently deployed overseas, as well as the children of Wounded Warriors in all branches. The grants pay for participation in extracurricular activities and tutoring programs that nurture and sustain children while a parent is away in service to our country or recovering from injury. www.ourmilitarykids.org

• Soldiers’ Angels, 4 stars: A volunteer-led organization providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, their families, and a growing veteran population. Soldiers’ Angels has hundreds of thousands of volunteers assisting veterans, wounded and deployed personnel, and their families in many meaningful ways. Soldiers’ Angels is one of the few nonprofit organizations with a seat on the VA National Advisory Committee and permission to work within the VA Health System. www.soldiersangels.org

If you don’t recognize some of these charities, that is probably a good thing. Promoting a charity by TV, radio, print and mailings are sure indicators of high administrative costs, often as high as 70%. When in doubt, research the charity.  

Wishing you and your family a safe, happy and healthy new year. 

Ed Davis, past Post commander and newsletter editor.