Assistant DSO: Fund 85 is helping veterans in real need
As the holidays have ramped up, s
o have my Fund 85 requests. Fund 85, as most of you know, is the Minnesota Veterans Assistance Fund. It is under the Minnesota American Legion Foundation.
As we are midway through December now, over the last three weeks, the requests for Fund 85 assistance have doubled. I would like share where those funds have been going, and a couple of appreciation letters from the veterans Fund 85 has helped.
The guidelines for Fund 85 are few but important. First and foremost, all other options must be exhausted.
The veteran is to reach out to their respective county veterans service officer, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon or other organizations before requesting use of the Minnesota American Legion Foundation’s Fund 85.
They must have an honorable discharge and must be ready to show financial stability after making use of the fund.
This effort to help a veteran starts at the post! Any post service officer can initiate the use of Fund 85 for a struggling veteran. Posts can always reach out to me for training and assistance.
Who has been receiving Fund 85 assistance over the last few months?
Well, I have assisted veterans and families with car repairs, rent, utilities, groceries, fuel, heat and more. The requests come in from all over the state. From Winona to Little Falls, Marshall to Minneapolis. The veterans age groups have been from 25 years old to 90.
Since the start of Fund 85, your Minnesota American Legion has assisted with $470,000 for our Minnesota veterans in need.
Without the support of our members, Fund 85 would dwindle, and fewer veterans would be helped. The Legion Riders have done a huge service for Fund 85, and my gratitude goes out to them.
I also want to thank the gambling committees at posts statewide for donating to the Legion Riders’ annual fundraiser, donating to commander projects when Fund 85 is involved or by donating directly to Fund 85 through the foundation.
With names removed for privacy, below are a few letters of appreciation for the Legion’s assistance:
Jason,
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, my husband and I wanted to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the help you’ve provided us. It has been a blessing to receive aid from The American Legion — covering our rent and utility bills — especially during a season where every penny counts!
We also appreciate your assistance with sharing other opportunities for us to look into. You’ve truly gone above and beyond in helping us. We hope you have an amazing holiday season.
Jason,
I can’t express enough the gratitude and assistance I have received from The American Legion. Jason has been extremely helpful and without the help, I could have never been able to afford what I needed done to my car. I take my hat off and salute The American Legion and Jason for helping me. I can’t thank you enough.
Good morning, Jason!
Thank you and The American Legion for assisting me with the bills I thought it would be impossible to catch up on. I appreciate how thorough you were with answering any questions I had and loved hearing your experience with The American Legion. If I could thank The American Legion on behalf of everyone they’ve helped — they are working miracles, and we are forever grateful.
Jason Storm is the assistant department service officer for The American Legion Department of Minnesota. His email is [email protected].