National Association of American Veterans
January/February Testimonies
Winter’s Colorful Breeze
Why not color me Red, White, and Blue. Yes, although those are the colors of our America flag, they do not quite represent the statement within this month’s Testimonial report for the National Association of American Veterans, Inc. (NAAV). Instead, we are using a little word play to correspond with: Red represent the celebration of Valentine’s Day for all of those who love, have been loved, and lost loved ones within the recent months. Homeless Veterans are one of the most vulnerable of people during the winter months due to the cold weather and potential drop in food supplies; White is for the inches of snow, or the lack thereof, we have gotten, which succeed in providing a few more vacation days for the school kids, and Blue represent the confusing blue skies we have added with temperatures fluctuating between the 30’s and 60’s throughout most of this winter.
While we “cannot control Mother Nature” we i.e., NAAV can control the movement of hands and hearts stretched out towards our Veterans and their family members. These first two months of the New Year have met with a few challenges beginning with the government shutdown sounding the alarm for many of our federal workers, civilian contractors, and military families including Veterans and active Service members. Directly impacted was the U.S. Coast Guard, who were among some of the over 800,000 federal workers that went without two month’s pay immediately following the Christmas holiday.
Yet despite those initial challenges and what proved to be a frightful setback for thousands, NAAV’s eyes were steady on the mission of conducting caregiving services and providing funds for those most in need even while the annual CFC fund raising campaign was struggling to raise its flag calling forth 2019 donations.
Here are a few of the ways NAAV has been able to contribute to our Veterans and their family members thus far this year with your continued help, service, support, and dedication… We are blessed to be able to keep on moving forward to assist those who served and are serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
- NAAV’s Veterans Service Officer and CEO provided invaluable assistance
in support of three Veterans namely Jeffery Aubuchon of St. Louis,
Missouri; Glenn W. Platt of Las Vegas, NV and the message below
pertaining to Troy and Shelly Rutledge of Savannah, Georgia needing
assistance with moving their furniture and other personal property to their new
home in Savannah by February 28, 2019. Troy Rutledge is a U.S. Navy
Veteran his spouse Shelly is his caregiver. NAAV was able to secure a resource from Mayor Eddie Deloach’s Office.
Their Administrative Assistant recommended the Navy League of the United
States Patricia Yovich, past president of the Navy League in Savannah,
GA who agreed to provide strong abled Navy Veterans to help move the
Troy and Shelly’s furniture and other personal items to their new home.
- Message below from the Navy League of the U.S.
Testimonial of Troy and Shelly Rutledge
“We thank the Lord and NAAV for helping us secure assistance to help
move our belonging to our new house in Savannah. We are very grateful
for your support and immediate attention to our request in locating the
Navy League to help us. Troy and I are both disabled and cannot
carry heavy furniture. God bless you!” — Troy and Shelly
Rutledge of Savannah, Georgia
- “Thank you NAAV for getting our gas turn on in February when the
temperature was 13 degrees and our electric and water from being turn
off! I am an unemployed Veteran of the war in Middle East with a five
year son, disabled mother on oxygen and brother suffering from mental
illness. We thank you for getting support from our Mayor’s office and
paying for most needed groceries delivered to our house on the same day
of the request. We thank the LORD and NAAV for it immediate support on
behalf of those we served.” — Jeffrey Aubuchon of St. Louis, Missouri
- “Thank you NAAV for your continued support of the homeless and those who
do not have a family to help in times of need. Thanks again for paying my
past due three month’s rent and utilities and securing another nonprofit
to help me in the local area of Las Vegas, Nevada. I thank you Ronald
Mbiad, NAAV Advisor in Las Vegas for taking me to my VA medical
appointments and to VA Community Resource and Referral Center to get
additional financial assistance with housing, food, and medical. I am
very thankful and grateful for all the support and love you have given
me! Thanks! — Glenn W. Platt, Disabled Veteran, Las Vegas, Nevada
Some veterans just wanted to say “thank you!”
- Thank you NAAV, Inc. for all the good that you are doing in the world.
May God bless you! — Petra S. Ramirez, San Antonio, TX Widow of
Deceased Veteran ~ Feb 2019
- On Saturday, January 26, 2019, the National Association of American Veterans, Inc. (NAAV) participated in its fifteenth year of helping homeless and at-risk Veterans of the greater DC metropolitan area at the DC VA Medical Center’s (VAMC) Winterhaven Stand Down for Homeless Veterans, along with collaborative partners representing agencies, organizations and volunteers. Attendance numbers indicate that over 667 Veterans consisting of 577 males and 90 females received services at the 25th Annual VAMC event.
*This event is always the highlight of the year… It’s giving in action and paying tribute by the opportunity to serve those who gave so much!
However, as we have not yet put a dent in this year’s resources of giving, we have a long way to go in filling up our baskets. As the scriptures states, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). NAAV asks for all of your support to help with the drive forward in fulfilling its mission to serve.
For more than 14 years NAAV’s focus has been on the needs of our American Veterans and their family members as an attempt to give back in what seems a very small action compared to their bravery and sacrifice in keeping America—your family and mine—safe from the wiles of the enemy. We have a short supply of resources in our barns and need your continued support to keep the shelves and nets of safety full with the necessary resources to give to those in desperate need.
Please remember to give generously to the cause of NAAV’s mission and service because your giving goes a very long way as our organization could not do what we have done for the many years we have been servicing Veterans, their family members, and care givers, whose lives have been spared and tremendously rewarded because of you. Thank you and continue to pray for NAAV and our veterans as we head into another new—while unpredictable, and exciting year.
Warm and kind blessings,
o/b/o CEO and President, Constance Burns
NAAV, Inc.
Washington, DC
A snapshot of a few recent 2018-2019 NAAV highlights:
A Season of Giving
Winter storms do not delay what the message of Jesus Christ’ birth was meant to portray:
Isaiah 9:6 6For to us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be on His shoulders. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (New King James Version)
For some reason this year—more than most—my hearing was extra sensitive to murmurings of people saying, “I’m just not in to Christmas this year; I just don’t feel the Christmas spirit this year; OR this year (2018) is a bad Christmas for me.”
This year, this December 2018, has been no different for NAAV in its 13th year of serving. Thanks to the Organization’s obedient President and CEO, NAAV made it through another year of providing for the needs of our nations veterans and their family members.
As we close out this season bearing gifts, NAAV shares with you its final blessings for 2018:
*Over 70 Christmas cards were mailed out to service members – NAAV happy to be a part of spreading the Christmas cheer
* A little break for a veteran caregiver –
“I want to thank Ms. Burns for understanding that I needed a little time
away from my daily responsibilities, to refocus attention on me. I thank
the NAAV for offering the opportunities for us caregivers of Veterans,
to get a respite break if only for a couple of hours. It gave me a
chance to refresh. I went to Jerry’s Seafood and had the best time.
My waitress name was Christy and she was great!
She knew what I needed before I asked. I felt very comfortable at Jerry’s. Thanks again Christy
for taking a picture with me! To the NAAV I would love to go again!”
LJ
Respite Care Retreat:
A few of the individual testimonies:
“I enjoyed a very restful and fun-filled respite care retreat… My guest room was very comfortable…”
“NAAV’s Respite Care Retreat was very good and beneficial. I enjoyed relaxing outside at the
fire pit during my free time at the retreat.”
“I cannot wait to use the information received at the retreat in my daily life. The spiritual wellness and understanding grief were exceptional presentations.”
“I would like to thank Constance Burns and NAAV for the opportunity to attend NAAV’s Respite Care Retreat for much needed rest and refreshment I received during this time.”
- In October 2018, the National Association of American Veterans, Inc. (NAAV) received three donated wheelchairs in support of military families most in need of accessibility. In August of 2018, NAAV received a donated Hoveround Motorized Scooter with a market value of $4,000 from Julie Rhodes, caregiver and now widow of deceased Veteran Russell “Rusty” Rhodes of Potomac, Maryland.
- Following, Mr. Anderson is shown proudly seated in his new facilitated chair as he plays the piano at the Sunday morning Retirement Home-Washington, DC on Veterans Day:
Ray Anderson is a World War II Veteran who received a manual and a mobile wheelchair in November 2018.
- Those who sacrifice family, friends, and their own lives to protect an entire nation of people, go on to become living and most memorable legends. On November 22, 2018, NAAV Media and Publications Manager had the opportunity to volunteer as a NAAV representative by jointing in with others who stepped up to the roll call and participated in decorating the halls and Christmas trees, while spending time with veterans and breaking bread together at the DC Veterans Transition Access House on Chesapeake Street SE, Washington, DC.
- Veterans who enter into the Access House program are received based on a selection process and get assigned to a case management specialist as they adjust to life off the street into a secure, healthy, and safe environment.
- Greg Crawford, Director of the Access House facility is both humbled and proud to serve
Summer 2018:
- A few of the end of summer accomplishments, we received feedback as well as testimonies of how, despite the heat, or lack thereof, NAAV ushered in a cooling breeze, just in time for the fall.
- NAAV assisted Caregiver Sandra Depew now widow of Raymond Depew with
emergency assistance in August and September 2018. NAAV was able
through its resources and funds to pay for emergency home repairs and for a new hot water heater, food, and utilities bills