100% of your Giving Tuesday gift will help local Veterans in crisis now and throughout the coming year! THANK YOU!!!
If you’re looking for a meaningful way to thank our nation’s Veterans for their service this holiday season, join us in supporting Veterans in need. Still Serving Veterans (SSV) provides no-cost career assistance services to Veterans every day of the year, but some Veterans we meet need much more than a job. A tragedy in their personal life or financial struggles have placed them dangerously on the edge of a crisis.
This year we are asking you, our Veteran-friendly community, to help us catch Veterans 'on-the-edge' before they fall.
100% of your Giving Tuesday gift will help Veterans in crisis now and throughout the year, by directly providing hope & support with food, clothing, shelter, utilities, medical care, and maybe a Christmas gift for their child. Your gift will allow SSV to have the emergency funds needed to help a Veteran in our community avoid a life-changing fall by offering the emergency resources they need.
Once they become stable, SSV will continue to assist them with building a better future by filing for the VA benefits they have earned and/or locating the new career they desire.
How your gift will be used:
SSV’s Veteran Resource Connection (VRC) program provides direct assistance to Veterans in the North Alabama area who are in a life crisis. As costs are rising, many Veterans in our local community have unmet needs such as food, shelter, and utilities. Simply having money for a rental deposit can mean the difference between stable housing and homelessness. Some Veterans just need help with feeding their families or covering a utility bill until the next paycheck arrives. 100% of your Giving Tuesday gift will be placed into an emergency funds bucket and only used by our VRC team to provide critical support to Veterans in crisis.
(True Veteran assistance stories follow but the photos are stock images to protect our Veteran clients.)
The littlest things can add up to a big problem:
A few weeks ago, Maria, an Army Veteran and single mother to energetic twin boys, came into the office. She had been stopped by the police and given a warning because the children had outgrown their car seats. Without appropriate car seats, it was unsafe for her twins to ride in the car. This would make accomplishing everyday tasks practically impossible. Maria is struggling right now, but only wants what is best for her kids. She heard about Still Serving Veterans’ Christmas gift program and asked to be included, but the only gift she requested was car seats for the boys.
SSV recognized that this was not a need that could or should wait until Christmas, so we used our emergency funds and purchased two car seats to keep her little ones safe. We also kept this Veteran and her family on our Christmas gift list so the kids will be able to enjoy a few toys and a good holiday meal with Mom.
We find that most Veterans are very proud and hesitant to ask for help. So, when they do knock on our door, we open it wide and listen!
Starting over has its price:
Melissa, an Army Veteran, came to SSV for help after her abusive marriage to another Veteran abruptly ended. He has severe PTSD and was self-medicating with alcohol. Throughout the relationship she was kept financially captive with no access to joint funds, so when he left without notice and ceased paying any bills, she ran out of options and was about to become homeless. She was embarrassed by where she found herself and had difficulty asking for help, but we are glad she did.
SSV was able to assist her with two months’ rent and connect her to a community partner who assisted with covering utility costs, just to hold her over until she got paid from her new job. She then met with one of our VA counselors who helped her get a significant increase in disability compensation by reevaluating her claim. A meeting with SSV's Education Program Manager opened the door to new options including going back to school for free through Vocational Rehab. Melissa is now on stable ground and building a better life for herself.
Together, we can catch them before they fall and offer a life-changing hand up.
Bad health creates a cascade of problems:
Gary, a Veteran in his mid-60's with Stage 4 kidney cancer, and whose wife had just undergone heart surgery, found himself in need of help recently. They had been able to "stay afloat", until their car broke down and the repairs were more than the car was worth. They pieced together enough money to buy a $1000 replacement, but it also broke down and needed repairs. Without a vehicle they could not get to doctors’ appointments or the grocery store, and it made reaching out for assistance hard.
Meanwhile, their landlord had been very accommodating, but they were falling behind on rent. They contacted SSV seeking two months of rent so they could avoid losing their apartment. SSV was able to make a one-time grant of $900 and to solicit help from the Huntsville Assistance Program (HAP) who made up the difference. SSV was able to provide real help at the time of need, and we were able to leverage our collaborative relationships with trusted partners to accomplish more than either organization could by itself.
Help us to honor those who have selflessly served America.
100% of your Giving Tuesday gift will help local Veterans in crisis now and throughout the coming year! THANK YOU!!!
FACEBOOK OPTIONS: (NOTE: Facebook Donations made on Tue. Nov. 29th will be matched by Facebook)
1.) SSV FUNDRAISER Page: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1133190033994978/ Please share this with your Friends.
2.) Individuals can set-up their own SSV Fundraiser to share with their network and add a personal message: https://www.facebook.com/fund/SSVeterans/