Here are a couple worthwhile links:
* somesites.org has a couple of Occupy-related sites, one that allows voting on demands, and the other on actions.
* I’ve mentioned this site before, but today’s Philanthroper charity feeds homeless dogs. Philanthroper is a micro ($1 to $10) donation site that picks worthy charities and features them for a day.
Since it is Veterans’ Day, I wonder if anyone has any worth vets-related charities or sites. Mention those, or any other, in the comments. Also, too: if you want your site or charity featured on Friday, send me a link. My email is at the upper right.
Jack the Second
Personally, I think a great way to honor our veterans is to try to dismantle the military-industrial-congressional machine.
Now, there’s a small, tiny, infinitesimal chance that Congress is going to cut the defense budget in the next N months, and our brave congressmen are trying their hardest to ensure that the cuts come out of veteran benefits (and pay for active soldiers!), and not out of defense contracts.
Does anyone know a lobbying organization which is trying to lobby for the opposite, cuts in defense contracts (fewer war machines, fewer mercenaries), and maintaining benefits for troops and veterans?
The Ancient Randonneur
Fisher House is a Vet related charity I give to regularly. From the website:
Hawes
Is there a charity to end the Second Mile “charity”?
amk
How the media assholes are controlled with the same fucking talking point, fucking word for word.
Fucking stenos.
WereBear
@Jack the Second:
soonergrunt
The officially chartered and designated service relief agencies all run strictly on donations. They provide grants and interest-free loans for financial emergencies, parenting and budgeting classes, civilian clothing loan lockers, charity pantries, and even loaner packages of pots, pans, dishes, and flatware for families that have relocated but haven’t had their household goods catch up with them.
Army Emergency Relief
Air Force Aid Society
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Linda Featheringill
Happy Veterans Day.
I am grateful that my closest veteran, my daughter, is alive and kicking and still getting into things.
I remember a brother who disappeared in Korea.
I remember a lover who left his soul in Vietnam.
Jesus! When the hell are we going to stop this shit?
soonergrunt
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance
The Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Disabled American Veterans provide counseling, assistance, and other support to America’s Veterans. They are the best of the service organizations with respect to the assistance they give to vets navigating the VA’s byzantine Veterans Benefits Administration rules and procedures. Unlike the American Legion, which was always a front for right wing politics (having been started by the Italian fascist movement) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which national leadership are all republican activists, the PVA and the DVA only lobby Congress on issues of import to Veterans and do not advocate for or endorse candidates for office.
soonergrunt
And last but not least, the USO whose website seems to be down at the moment.
Halcyan
The Wounded Warrior Project Supports vets helping wounded vets.
soonergrunt
@Halcyan: I can’t believe I forgot WWP.
WereBear
@Halcyan: If you buy from Overstock.com, you have the option of adding a dollar to your purchase that goes to Wounded Warrior Project.
gelfling545
Those in the WNY area (or even out or it) might want to consider WNY Heroes, a really small but hardworking local organization. http://wnyheroes.org/index.php. I have had contact with them through some work I am doing for one of the organizations with which they partner. WNY Heroes has helped area Vets & their families with a lot of issues but I have mostly noticed that when someone has a problem that there is no particular agency to address or that needs to be addressed faster than the wheels of many agencies can turn WNY Heroes has taken up the slack.
Mystical Chick
Great idea on the donation site – I got there with 10 seconds left to donate and I couldn’t find a way to log in. :( Boo. But I did sign up so maybe next time around.
Thank you for hipping us to it!
very reverend crimson fire of compassion
Free meals to homeless and hungry vets. Just click the button in the middle of the screen, and the advertisers on the following page donate.
qkslvrwolf
IAVA and MAAF come to mind…not directly related, I suppose, but important nonetheless.
harlana
I recently discovered Charity Navigator which provides information regarding many charities including how the money is spent including breakdowns of admin costs, etc. Also, they are featuring vet-related charities today on their website
Mark
Hey, this is Mark Wilson, founder of Philanthroper. Thanks for the mention!
In terms of Veterans’ Day, there are some fantastic groups we highlighted on July 4 – from free psychological counseling for troops coming home to free calling cards for those still abroad. Here’s our list, all of ’em are great:
https://philanthroper.com/roundups/july-4
j
I converted all of my United Miles Plus points (from my credit cards) to donations to the Fisher Houses charities. (Google Fisher House for locations.) They are like Ronald McDonald Houses for the families of wounded soldiers recuperating in VA hospitals. I also converted some points to gift cards for local restaurants so the staff can either give them out to the families visiting their wounded warriors, or take some of the patients out for a good meal.
You can do it right through the links on the United Mileage Plus site.
j
@The Ancient Randonneur: Sorry, I didn’t see your post. I take too long to type and Google.
Joel
This is a key point for me. I donated to the USPS-sponsored Feeding America drive last year. It was just a modest amount, but one that I could afford, and was rewarded with an unending stream of solicitations from almost every poverty-related charity under the sun. One even sent me a dollar bill to try and guilt me into donating to them. It’s still somewhere in the pile of charity mail that included some knickknack of other that prevents me from being able to just straight drop them in the recycle bin. I found all of this pretty crass. When I move, and it wont be too long now, I’m going to be exceedingly guarded against that kind of stuff.
cckids
@The Ancient Randonneur:
Great aim, they get my vote (and a sadly small amount of cash, at least for today). I’ve used a similar home when my son was hospitalized for weeks & months at a time, and it is a sanity saver.
Raven
At the Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech game in Atlanta last night they introduced three “Wounded Warriors”. As they left the field the PA played “Shotgun, Shoot em Till They Run Now”. I know it was just an oversight but to some of us it was pretty stupid.
Raven
@soonergrunt: And will send you 50 emails a week once they get your addy.