Programs

  • Indiana Vietnam Veterans Gift Program

    The Indiana Vietnam Veterans Gift program was launched on March 29, 2021. This outreach program is designed to FIND, THANK, and REPAY Indiana Veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War Years of 1955-1975. The gift includes A Time To Honor - Indiana Edition - book and DVD set which will be presented to Veterans in all 92 Indiana counties until 2025. The Indiana Vietnam Veterans Gift, A TIME TO HONOR, has been very successful in our first 2 years of intense community outreach to thousands of Hoosier Vietnam Era Veterans. This initiative has revealed the importance of this effort. Since March 2021, we have presented - in-person- the VetsGift to over 10,000+ Hoosiers. To date, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans has held 151 special "Welcome Home" events, presented in 62 Indiana Counties. Our focus for 2023-2024 is to deliver gifts to the remaining 30 Indiana Counties we haven't yet reached. With additional funding we will be producing and publishing the photo "yearbook" of thousands of Hoosier Veterans we have honored with the VetsGift. We will include an expanded digital version of A Time to Honor and will submit the entire collection to the Library of Congress to be made available for historical preservation. This will be part of Indiana history! This outreach program is designed to find the estimated 120,000 Vietnam Era Veterans living in Indiana. These older Veterans are a severely underserved population. We estimate that close to HALF of all Vietnam Era Veterans have never applied for benefits or were denied years ago. Huge improvements the last two years have been made to add more presumptive illnesses attributed to the Vietnam War, plus many state resources and helpful organizations offer additional assistance to Veterans and families. Applying for - and receiving - these earned benefits is much easier now and can be life-changing to the Veteran and his/her family. WHVV's program outreach directly connects Veterans and families to the Veteran Service Officers, benefits, and resources to help to improve the quality of their lives. We have met Veterans who are very close to their last days and are finally receiving the recognition & support they were without for 50 years! We estimate that 3,500+ VIETNAM ERA VETERANS and their families have been directly helped with services at these events. Even more have been touched, emotionally, with a better attitude & improved mental health because of the honor and gratitude bestowed upon them from their community. They need to hear acknowledgement and community appreciation of their military service given to them at these events. THIS IS EMERGENCY OUTREACH TO HOOSIER VETERANS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $26K