In the Spirit of the Season

The holidays bring a particularly busy time to our Lifeline for Vets.

You might have read last month about VA problems processing benefit payments—tuition, housing, etc. The problem rose in September when vets returned to school.  By October and November it was in the national press.

Here at the NVF, our Lifeline for Vets hotline functions as a kind of early warning system. Before this was a news story, we were receiving calls from vets who had not received payments, or whose allotments had been reduced without warning. That last one really gets me.  Who thinks that’s something you can spring on anybody?

Most colleges and universities know from experience about government slowdowns. Most of them can wait. But Kroger’s or Food for Less doesn’t have that level of understanding. Nor do landlords. Vets have to borrow or use their credit cards for necessary expenses. And that add another level of stress at a time of year when our hotline is flooded with calls for help during the holidays.

The holidays—full of sound, color and special occasions—trigger memories, good and bad. If you’re struggling, the season can be particularly isolating. Loneliness can lead to despair. We know where that leads. We get those calls, too.

Knowing what lay ahead, we started training new staff so we’d be ready when the Lifeline for Vets lights up as it always does. But somehow, there are never enough resources for the manpower we need. And so we turn to you for help.

• Your gift of $20 supports one Lifeline for Vets call from a Veteran in need.
• $50 funds one Veteran suicide crisis call.
• $100 supports case management for a day for a struggling Veteran.
• $200 sponsors one Homeless Veteran Outreach Mission.

The National Veterans Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, holds a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. We receive no government funding. Our support comes from people like you. As you plan your year-end giving, we hope you’ll choose to support us. Please be as generous as you can. Veterans and their families are counting on all of us.

Wishing you a warm holiday season,

Shad Meshad,
President and Founder