Written by: Vernon Bagley
3/11/2008 4:06 PM

• A Veteran who was diagnosed as terminally ill wanted his only family from North Carolina to visit him at the Carl T. Hayden VA hospital, they were financially unable to come to Phoenix and through a call from the VA hospital I was told of the situation and we were able to assist his only brother and two sister in coming to Phoenix for 6 days and 7 nights. We provided them with living accommodations at the Marriott Courtyard Camelback and they were able to visit and say goodbye in a loving, respectful, and dignified manner. The family has asked that I thank each of you for the help you provided and I echo that Thank You

• The wife of an Arizona National Guardsman who had been deployed to Afghanistan for over 19 months need her transmission repaired and with their household income dropping due to her husband’s deployment, she did not have the money to complete the repair. We were able to step in through some of our supporters and have the transmission replaced at “no charge”.

• Another wife of an Arizona National Guardsman who had been deployed to Afghanistan for over 19 months door on her refrigerator was broke and would not close. She had been using “duct” tape to keep it close. We were informed of this and through another group of supporters who work at one company, when they heard of the problem, every employee came together in 1 day and donated enough money to buy her a brand new refrigerator.

• The VA called and told me of a homeless Veteran who was having surgery to remove a kidney and his estranged daughter of 5 years had rode a bus in from South Carolina to be with her Dad during the surgery and recovery but did not have enough money for a hotel and requested our assistance. Through your donations and support we were able to put her into a hotel just 3 miles for the VA for 5 days so she could be with her Dad and hopefully reconcile their differences. I am happy to say that as of my last contact with them, the father was out of the hospital and heading for South Carolina to live close to his daughter

• Another call from the VA about a homeless Veteran who has just had a surgical procedure to repair a hernia and had to be dismissed from the hospital. However, he needed a clean environment to stay in during the final phases of healing and attention to his wound dressing. Thanks to you we were able to put him into a hotel for 3 nights until he was surgical wounds were completely healed.

• A 35 year old Desert Storm Veteran was referred to us by the Vets Center in Mesa. His employer has withheld $3,000 from his paycheck for damages to a customers loading dock door. He lived with his fiancée and her two daughters 11 and 9 years old in an apartment complex. Our Veteran explained why he needed some additional time to pay his rent and the apartment complex refused to allow him time to make the November rent pay when the money being held was released. His was evicted by a Justice of the Peace during a hearing on November 15 with the effective date of the day before Thanksgiving. The Veteran contacted Project “We Remember” on the 16^th of November, I spoke with the Apartment management on the 17^th of November and tried to pay his back rent as well as guaranteeing his next three months rent, they said NO. We then found a hotel for them to stay in, help him find a new job and put them into one of our rented condos, again Thanks to You.

• We received an email from a deployed National Guard soldier in Afghanistan. His mother, who lived in New Mexico was extremely ill and his wife, who lives in Phoenix, was going to drive to New Mexico and be with her mother-in-law and help. The only care owned by the couple was without a heater and his request was that we fix the heater in the car (we also found out that the old car’s floor board had holes in it). We spoke with a supporter who owns a car auction company and was able to buy a newer care for her at a very reasonable price

• Project “We Remember” CHANGE (Citizens Helping Arizona National Guardsman Everyday) contacted various food growers and suppliers throughout Arizona and was able to have enough food donated for the 800 Arizona Families of the National who had family deployed to Afghanistan and we were able to distribute to each family two boxes of food before Christmas as a way of saying “Thank You”

• Project “We Remember” CHANGE also conducted an “Adopt a Soldier” campaign to help buy Christmas Presents for the children of the Guard who were deployed in Afghanistan and who may not have money to buy the gifts themselves

• A Vietnam Era Veteran had his pre-manufactured home catch on fire and several damage the structure. The Veteran and his wife are both 100% disabled and only receive $950.00 per month from Social Security they were living on an average of $35 per week for groceries and could not afford insurance. We are currently housing them in an extended stay hotel and with the help of local building contractors and you we hope to keep the family in the extended stay facility until we can rebuild their home

• A young 23 year old Veteran who was a Marine Corp. Medic in Iraqi and highly decorated returned home to a stack of bills run up on credit cards by his wife and prior to his returning home she left him. This young man, who served his country so bravely, was looking for assistance through the VA or the AZ Dept. of Veterans Services, to help with his debt and pending divorce. I received a call from the VA explaining the situation and asking if we could help. To date we have been able to find him a lawyer (pro bono) who will help with the divorce, we are working with him on his credit issue, their was a problem with receiving payment on his GI Montgomery Bill (he is attending Phoenix College and wants to become a doctor) and he is diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Thanks to your support we have been able to help keep him from being evicted from his apartment, found him an attorney, and provide moral support.

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