Get ready for a day of music, tethered ballon rides and more. All to benefit our Veterans. Gates open at 11am. This is an all-ages event. Here is a little more on one of our benefactors. If you would like to be a sponsor, please email Leanne at [email protected] or [email protected]
..Get ready for a day of music, tethered ballon rides and more. All to benefit our Veterans. Gates open at 11am. This is an all-ages event. Here is a little more on one of our benefactors. If you would like to be a sponsor, please email Leanne at [email protected] or [email protected]
Our mission is "No Veteran Left Behind"
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is home to over 800,000 veterans, almost 300,000 of them wartime veterans and more than 19,000 who currently serve in our National Guard. Despite our state having the fourth largest veteran population, our veteran’s administration outreach facilities and services only represent 4% of what the Veterans Administration has to offer nationally.
These statistics indicate that as residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and as members of the veteran community, we are not doing enough to make an impact on the disparity in getting our veterans the help they need. Many veterans slip through the cracks either because they may not qualify for certain benefits or because the help they need is not something the Veterans Administration provides. Handiwork or repairs around their home, yard work, transportation to appointments, handicap-supportive adaptations to homes or emergency funds to pay a utility bill, are common instances where services fall grossly short. We have a sole mission to ensure “NO VETERAN IS LEFT BEHIND.”
Recognizing this unmet need in the LOCAL veteran community, the VFW Riders Group – District 15-PA, was formed. With a home base at the Muncy VFW Post 3428, our group is tasked with serving Lycoming, Clinton, Tioga, Cameron, Potter, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour & Columbia counties. While our focus is on these counties, we also will do our best to assist veterans in surrounding counties when the mission calls. As a non-profit group of dedicated volunteers from all walks of life, connected to the veteran community, supported by the VFW organization, and looking to make a solid “boots on the ground” effort to make a difference.
On a larger scale, we as a group are the designated riders group who support American Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Wives and Blue Star Mothers organizations annually by escorting their delegations/members and leading the "Rolling to Remember Ride" in Washington DC over Memorial Day Weekend every year. The weekend is the culmination of a year's planning, gathering donations for THEIR work in veteran/military outreach and legislation, honoring them and remembering their family members' sacrifice to Freedom. These amazing moms, spouses, and family members get honored, share their stories, get to visit our Nation's Capital, visit Arlington and help us to remind our Government that there are still so many service members who have not come home.
A few of the projects on our agenda for the upcoming year include:
Training/certifying all members and 2 new instructors in Mental Health First Aid / Crisis Intervention - "CPR for Mental Health," if you will. Because we serve several of the most RURAL counties in Pennsylvania, it's important that these skills are ready to be engaged in the community as many veterans may not utilize or have adequate access to mental health resources. If our members can recognize situations and quickly act to engage help for these veterans, we expect to make an impact on veteran quality of life and hopefully reduce veteran suicide.
Make and distribute Emergency Readiness Kits to veteran households. With the increase in power outages due to weather events and the rural nature of counties we serve, it is important to be prepared in case the household is without power and cannot be reached by helpers on an immediate basis.
Secure the donation of a handicapped accessible transport van to assist with veterans in our communities who need to travel to Wilkes-Barre for appointments and cannot drive themselves or do not have a caretaker who can assist. It is important for our veterans who require care to ensure the continuity of that care and give them the best opportunity for quality of life.
On a more personal note, as a member of this group, I am the wife of a disabled combat veteran, the mom of an active duty combat veteran and have been a volunteer for various veteran/military causes for more than 15 years. I am also a committee member for the Military Share Food Bank for Union County which is a program sponsored by the Central PA Food Bank and provides supplemental food distribution to military/veteran families in need every month.
Our mission is "No Veteran Left Behind"
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is home to over 800,000 veterans, almost 300,000 of them wartime veterans and more than 19,000 who currently serve in our National Guard. Despite our state having the fourth largest veteran population, our veteran’s administration outreach facilities and services only represent 4% of what the Veterans Administration has to offer nationally.
These statistics indicate that as residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and as members of the veteran community, we are not doing enough to make an impact on the disparity in getting our veterans the help they need. Many veterans slip through the cracks either because they may not qualify for certain benefits or because the help they need is not something the Veterans Administration provides. Handiwork or repairs around their home, yard work, transportation to appointments, handicap-supportive adaptations to homes or emergency funds to pay a utility bill, are common instances where services fall grossly short. We have a sole mission to ensure “NO VETERAN IS LEFT BEHIND.”
Recognizing this unmet need in the LOCAL veteran community, the VFW Riders Group – District 15-PA, was formed. With a home base at the Muncy VFW Post 3428, our group is tasked with serving Lycoming, Clinton, Tioga, Cameron, Potter, Union, Snyder, Northumberland, Montour & Columbia counties. While our focus is on these counties, we also will do our best to assist veterans in surrounding counties when the mission calls. As a non-profit group of dedicated volunteers from all walks of life, connected to the veteran community, supported by the VFW organization, and looking to make a solid “boots on the ground” effort to make a difference.
On a larger scale, we as a group are the designated riders group who support American Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Wives and Blue Star Mothers organizations annually by escorting their delegations/members and leading the "Rolling to Remember Ride" in Washington DC over Memorial Day Weekend every year. The weekend is the culmination of a year's planning, gathering donations for THEIR work in veteran/military outreach and legislation, honoring them and remembering their family members' sacrifice to Freedom. These amazing moms, spouses, and family members get honored, share their stories, get to visit our Nation's Capital, visit Arlington and help us to remind our Government that there are still so many service members who have not come home.
A few of the projects on our agenda for the upcoming year include:
Training/certifying all members and 2 new instructors in Mental Health First Aid / Crisis Intervention - "CPR for Mental Health," if you will. Because we serve several of the most RURAL counties in Pennsylvania, it's important that these skills are ready to be engaged in the community as many veterans may not utilize or have adequate access to mental health resources. If our members can recognize situations and quickly act to engage help for these veterans, we expect to make an impact on veteran quality of life and hopefully reduce veteran suicide.
Make and distribute Emergency Readiness Kits to veteran households. With the increase in power outages due to weather events and the rural nature of counties we serve, it is important to be prepared in case the household is without power and cannot be reached by helpers on an immediate basis.
Secure the donation of a handicapped accessible transport van to assist with veterans in our communities who need to travel to Wilkes-Barre for appointments and cannot drive themselves or do not have a caretaker who can assist. It is important for our veterans who require care to ensure the continuity of that care and give them the best opportunity for quality of life.
On a more personal note, as a member of this group, I am the wife of a disabled combat veteran, the mom of an active duty combat veteran and have been a volunteer for various veteran/military causes for more than 15 years. I am also a committee member for the Military Share Food Bank for Union County which is a program sponsored by the Central PA Food Bank and provides supplemental food distribution to military/veteran families in need every month.