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Air Force Sergeants Association
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Veterans Community Joins Forces To Care For America's Heroes ~
Group Launches Effort To Enhance Long Term Veteran Health Care and Quality Of Life
SUITLAND, MD - November 8, 2000 -
America's veterans service organizations joined hands today in an effort to improve long-term care for America's heroes.
They created the Armed Forces Veterans Homes Foundation and unanimously decided to begin national fundraising efforts to enhance the quality of life for all veterans residing in State and National Veterans Homes located throughout America. Typically veterans organizations provide financial support for the personal needs of indigent veterans. They also fund community items such as projection televisions and library reading machines and give grants for social events, recreational activities and outings. With the Foundation now in place, its Board of Directors hopes to consider larger projects to enhance the residents' daily lives.
"The Board believes that a broad, national partnership on behalf of all the Veterans Homes in America is the proper strategy," said Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. James Staton, Chairman of the newly formed Foundation and Executive Director for the Air Force Sergeants Association. "Our Foundation will fund quality of life projects at the more than 100 State Veterans Homes and the two National Retirement Homes. Collectively, these homes provide 8 million days of patient care annually and 24,000 beds for veterans, a number that is anticipated to double in the next ten years."
The Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the State Veterans Homes and the National Retirement Homes. "The greatest enemies of elderly veterans in our Homes are boredom, loneliness, helplessness and hopelessness," said Foundation Director Sam McVay, immediate past president of the National Association of State Veterans Homes. "Foundation funding will provide for items that budgeted monies would not allow, and make an enormous difference in residents' daily lives."
Work began on the Foundation in 1996 as an enlisted community undertaking with efforts led by the Air Force Sergeants Association, Association of the United States Army, Fleet Reserve Association, Noncommissioned Officers Association, and The Retired Enlisted Association.
Initially, efforts focused only on the two National Armed Forces Retirement Homes (the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home located in Washington D.C., and the U.S. Naval Home located in Gulfport, Mississippi). Over the past two years the scope of the Foundation's work expanded to include the State Veterans Homes. "This evolved into a national veterans issue," Staton explained. "Long-term care for veterans is a concern not only of the military community, but of all Americans."
Recognizing the increased scope of the Foundation's work, the founding members enlarged the Board of Directors by adding senior staffers from other broadly recognized veterans service organizations including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the National Association of State Veterans Homes.
"We will begin our efforts by recruiting the best persons possible for our Honorary Board of Directors," said Foundation President Ken Fulmer. "These will be persons of national prominence who will lend their name, reputation and voice to the fight for America's heroes. Our veterans deserve this. Just as they gave their best when America needed them most. IT IS NOW TIME FOR AMERICA TO GIVE THEM ITS BEST WHEN THEY NEED IT MOST."
For more information about the Foundation, visit www.VetHomesFoundation.org
