$140,000 granted to veterans in 2021.
Thank you!
It is difficult for us to believe it has been over 10 years since we received that life-altering visit at our front door to let us know Spencer had been killed in action in Afghanistan. I do not think there is any way to prepare for something like that. Devastation is the word that often comes to mind, and even that seems inadequate. We just were not ready to lose our son.
In the last ten years, however, we have seen truly amazing things happen for veterans. We have seen educational goals achieved. We have seen new businesses started where only dreams existed before. We have seen veteran, some at the ends of their ropes, find a purpose and direction after discovering tools to deal with their PTS. All of these things happened because of people just like you who were willing to join our efforts to honor and assist our nation’s veterans. You certainly make it count.
Our main areas of focus for veteran needs are: education, homelessness, and PTS recovery. Here is what you helped accomplish for veterans in 2021:
Education focus:
- $25,000 to Oklahoma State University Veteran Entrepreneurship Program to assist veterans see business dreams become reality
- $10,000 to Kansas City Kansas Community College to subsidize the purchase of tool kits needed in VoTech programs
- $10,000 to Johnson County Community College Foundation for book scholarships
- $10,000 to Cleveland University KC to help subsidize the cost of board exams
- $10,000 to University of Missouri KC for scholarships
- $2,500 to Kansas University Endowment for scholarships
- $2,500 to the University of Central Missouri for scholarships
PTS Recovery/Homelessness focus:
- $45,000 to The Battle Within, a Kansas City based experiential healing opportunity for veterans and first responders.
- $7,500 to St. Michael’s Veterans Center, a Kansas City based housing community striving to end veteran homelessness
- $5,000 to Johnson County Veterans Treatment Court, a program offering an alternative to incarceration to qualifying veterans willing to meet weekly benchmarks throughout the approximately 18-month program.
- $5,000 to Wyandotte County Veterans Treatment Court to help begin this valuable program for WYCO veterans in the judicial system
- $3,000 to Project MRE, a Kansas City effort to honor underserved veterans with meals and care packages on a semi-annual basis
- $1,500 to Monkey Brain Art, a program helping veterans heal through expressions of art
- $1,500 to Welcome Home providing support services for homeless and at-risk veterans in the Columbia, Missouri area
Honoring our Heroes:
- $1000 to Wreaths Across America, an organization dedicated to honoring our nation’s veterans by placing holiday wreaths on heroes’ graves
- $500 to Operation Paperback an organization that gathers new and gently-used books to send to our troops
We hope you can see our passion for making it count for our nation’s veterans. We would consider it an honor to have your continued support in 2022 as we continue to serve those who have served our country.
Thank you!
Megan