About 14 years ago, American Legion Family members Frank and Kathy Cook organized a gift card donation through American Legion Riders to the Riviera Beach, Fla., U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility. Since then, all Legion Family groups in the Palm Beach area have generously supported the mission. 
 
“All of us working together toward any project is the only way to go,” Cook said. 
 
The idea for the gift card program first began 14 years ago when the Legion Riders president  asked each of the members to come up with an idea on how to help local veterans. 
 
“My husband and I reached out to the local VA to see what the needs might be,” Cook recalled. “At that time, we had a lot of veterans returning from Iraq and the funds weren’t available to assist getting them back into society. The needs were so vast that we agreed on gift cards — Walmart was decided on because you could get food, clothes, gas — about anything needed.”
 
These are items they don’t have to take away from their living budget and helps them get the extra things needed, Cook added.
 
“We’ve had previous veterans come up to us and say that we bought their newborn their first diapers, and another bought a pair of work boots for a new job,” she said. 
 
The social services department at the hospital disburses the gift cards throughout the year to veterans in need. Those needs can range from putting food on their table to clothes for a job interview to gas to drive to chemo treatments — or even just a little boost to show that someone cares.  
 
The partnership with their local VA has grown stronger over the years as the gift card program has expanded. 
 
“When the program started, the VA social services department had the largest need for Operation Iraqi Freedom returning veterans,” Cook said. “Then communicating with them over the next few years, as the program grew, we discussed reaching out to additional support areas. We then added women veterans, then cancer patients, then homeless, etc. Now, because we have such a long, strong partnership, we donate and let the VA decide what veterans are in the greatest need.”
 
ALA Unit 47 actively generates funds for the program through letters asking for contributions or to local retailers asking for items to either raffle off or place in baskets, etc. Fundraising efforts have also included a monthly dinner with all proceeds going to the VA gift card program. 
 
The amount raised in the last 14 years is around $185,000 in gift cards. 
 
For other ALA units that may want to start a similar gift card program, Cook suggests contacting the social services department at your local VA hospital. They confirm the veterans’ eligibility and needs and can lead the unit/post to where the greatest needs are and make sure the gift cards are distributed. 
 
“Without the generosity of all the post families and other local supporters, this project could have never continued,” Cook said. “Having a program like this in our community helps show our veterans they are not forgotten. We want to give a hand up, not a hand out. We hope the program will continue to be supported and would encourage other posts in the country to talk with their local VA hospitals and see how they could begin a program in their area.”