this month’s cause:
*2% of profits from services and 10% of profits from retail during March & April will go to this organization. If you are moved to do so, please help even more*
March 1st - April 30th
Hey it’s March! Hmmmm...march... marching... marching makes me think of parades... and that reminded me of a ginormous parade that is supposedly being planned for Veterans Day this year. This parade is meant to honor our military and our veterans. Have you heard about this? It's projected to cost our country between $10 and $30 million. Here's a much better idea - let's direct our resources and dollars to organizations that serve the people the parade is supposed to be honoring, instead. Veterans. Simple, right? With a few clicks of my trusty keyboard, I came up with Swords to Plowshares. This locally grown (since 1974) non-profit provides wrap-around services to veterans in our community, and advocates for improved care and services for all veterans. They offer countless services and programs for vets. Please take a minute to check out their website. We will be collecting donations for Swords to Plowshares in March & April - chip in if you can!
From their website:
Founded in 1974 by veterans, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides needs assessment and case management, employment and training, housing, and legal assistance to roughly 3,000 veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area each year. We also advocate on behalf of veterans and provide community education for over 1,500 first responders, employers, social workers, attorneys, and other professionals who engage with veterans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides healthcare and benefits to a percentage of veterans, but depends on community partners, including Swords to Plowshares, to fill in the gaps and meet the needs of those who have served. Our community comes together to deliver local, comprehensive services to meet the needs of our veterans.
We have developed the most comprehensive model of care in the country and we are nationally recognized for our programs, advocacy, and expertise. In addition to our programs, we promote and protect the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education and partnerships with local, state and national entities. Our holistic approach is based on the philosophy that veterans’ health and stability issues—homelessness, service-related disabilities, unemployment, substance abuse—are interrelated and require an integrated system of support.