With Giving Hearts Day just a day away, we hope you’re making a list of your favorite charities and checking it twice. As you may have guessed, our list is heavy on veteran support. We’ve seen the good work that many have done, and we’ve been honored to do some pro bono work for a few as a way to say thanks. We plan to continue that with financial contributions.
If you’re struggling to choose from the long list of options, here are some of our favorites:
Impact-Support Our Veterans Fund: When they say 100% of the funds raised goes to veterans, they mean it. This is completely volunteer run, and the volunteers have covered any marketing and administrative expenses. Monies raised cover gaps in services, essentially filling the need where no other nonprofit or governmental agency can help.
When a Vietnam veteran with no family went into the hospital and needed both feet amputated, he was discharged in a wheelchair and unable to return to his apartment, which wasn’t accessible. SOV provided funds for movers to help relocate him to a new apartment building. When a young veteran needed to be out of work for 2 months for PTSD treatment, SOV helped support his family’s basic needs. When a WWII vet’s trailer park closed, SOV helped relocate his trailer home. Funds are paid as one-time emergency grants directly to the vendors providing the service the veteran needs.
Brady Oberg Legacy Foundation: Brady, sadly, became one of the roughly 22 veterans a day who take their lives. This year marks 10 years since he died, and his family has fought every day for the veterans who continue to fight their demons. They provide retreats for veterans to connect with one another as well as scholarships for veterans going into mental health professions.
Veterans tend to open up more with other veterans; they just “get it” unlike anybody else. The Brady Oberg Legacy Foundation understands that and is making a difference in that way as they work to reduce veteran suicide.
The Outdoor Adventure Foundation: Nature is healing. OAF understands this. They bring not just veterans but kids battling cancer and other health issues on hunting and fishing trips. Plus, we have to give a special shoutout to our photographer, David H. Lipp, who produces their TV show and photographs their trips.
Service Dogs for America: If you’ve never seen these four-legged superstars at work, you’re missing out. They are trained to wake veterans up from night terrors and provide protection when PTSD symptoms get to be too much. We’ve been moved to see them comfort a veteran in distress. These aren’t pets; they’re truly amazing partners for veterans in need.
Fargo Memorial Honor Guard (Veterans Memorial Center): Eastern North Dakota is home to a somewhat unique place: a federal cemetery for veterans. While many have been laid to rest since it was established in 2019, there’s been no building for families to warm themselves, much less a fence to block the wind that whips through the space north of Fargo. The Fargo Memorial Honor Guard is working to change that. Read more in an article Amy wrote on page 6 of The Good Life magazine.
