Project Valour-IT 2009

It is Project Valour-IT fund drive time. This year the fund drive will run through Veterans day. Sounds good to me.

I have been involved with Soldiers Angels for several years now. Several years ago my wife emailed me one day and said "I adopted a soldier." I didn't really understand, so she sent me over to the Soldiers Angels website to look around. I've been involved ever since.

A little about Soldiers Angels and Valour-IT.

Soldiers' Angels is designated a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity by the IRS. Donations are tax-deductible and may be eligible for matching funds from donors' employers (ask your employer). Be sure to consult your tax advisor for further information. All funds received go directly to our wounded troops; 100% of your donation to Project Valour-IT will be used to purchase laptops and other technology that will support recovery and provide independence and freedom to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

All money donated to Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of November 2008, Valour-IT has distributed over 2700 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology that supports physical and psychological recovery.

Valour-IT accepts donations in any amount to support our mission, but also offers a sponsorship option for laptops. An individual or organization may sponsor a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide that soldier with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. This has proved to be an excellent project for churches, groups of coworkers or friends, and members of community organizations such Boy Scouts.

Originally Valour-IT provided the voice-controlled software that accompanies the laptops, but now works closely with the Department of Defense Computer/electronic Accommodations Program (CAP): CAP supplies the adaptive software and Valour-IT provides the laptop. In addition, DoD caseworkers serve as Valour-IT’s “eyes and ears” at several medical centers, identifying patients in need of laptops and other technological support for their recovery.

It isn't just laptops though, last year I was having a conversation during Monday Night Football with a friend who has two sons in the Marines. She was looking forward to Christmas, because her oldest was coming home. Their oldest was wounded in Iraq, had both of his hands shot. She told me what helped him the most was staying busy playing the full body activity games on the Wii, with his hands wrapped up and multiple surgeries required to get his wrists working again, it was all he could do to stay active. While surfing around the Soldiers Angels website this morning i noted they have recognized this technology for those purposes and the Wii is also a supported Soldiers Angels technology for supporting recovery. That Christmas, the local pub raised over $1500 to get that Marine some Wii gear. It made a difference in his life, and Soldiers Angels is in the business of making a difference in the lives of soldiers and Marines wounded in the wars.

If you have a blog, join the cause, spread the word, help raise some money for a good cause. If you have a few dollars to spare, you will be hard pressed to find a cause you could spend the money on more deserving than Project Valour-IT.

If you have donations to spare, click the widget at the top of the blog and lets beat the shit out of Army this year.