As Gaslowitz Frankel continues our charitable giving program to celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary, our legal assistant, Laura, has chosen HeroBox for her donation.
When I asked Laura to discuss the reasons behind choosing her non-profit, she shared this story.
I think every generation has at least one “I know where I was when X happened” moment. The greatest example for my generation was 9/11. I was 17 years old, and I can still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news.
In the days that followed, I watched many of my friends volunteer to fight for our country. In the months that followed, I heard my friends tell me how something as simple as a care package or a letter from home can change the day for the whole unit because most of the service members share the goodies.
At first, I was inspired to send care packages because my military friends spoke about how some of the people in their unit never received anything from back home. However, in some of my darkest hours, I packed the care packages and spent time donating supplies to one of the local armories in order to sooth my bruised heart.
I have always tried to give back to others, whether it was donating supplies, packing some boxes, or a myriad of other activities. It is amazing how much better you can feel about life when you know you are putting a smile on someone else’s face.
I watched many service men and women sign up to fight, and I witnessed sending them off proudly with pomp and circumstance. But I was left wondering, what happens when they are away from home? What happens when they return home? What happens to veterans, both young and old, when they need something that the government does not provide?
As of 9/30/13, Georgia had a total of 774, 464 veterans, comprised of:
Wartime – 591,413
Vietnam Era – 282,435
Korean Conflict – 250,034
Peacetime – 183,051
Female – 106,857
Male – 667,608
On a single night in January of 2013, there were 1,805 homeless veterans in Georgia.
However, Georgians have done an admirable job of taking care of their own. Between 2009 and 2013, Georgia has seen the third largest decrease in homeless veterans — down by 492 (that’s 21.4%)! Yet, a single veteran being homeless is one too many.
It is up to us, all of us, to take care of each other. Send a letter, send a care package, donate some time to pack boxes, donate supplies, donate money, or just say thank you when someone proudly displays their military logo. I’ve seen grizzled old men brought to tears by a simple thank you because it was the first one they received for their service in Vietnam.
The charity I have chosen to support does all of that and so much more. HeroBox has several programs:
My Hero pairs you with a deployed service member. You can send one box for one month, or as many as you want for as long as you want.
HeroDay connects a group to a deployed unit. The group will pack and ship multiple HeroBoxes to the sponsored unit (no minimum or maximum number of boxes). This is a great team-building event for companies.
Homeward Heroes provides homeless veterans with the supplies they need once they are placed into a home. The Veterans Administration and other programs assist with homes, but the veteran is responsible for everything else, from appliances to the basics, including towels, soap, and toilet paper.
Renewed Heros enhances the lives and rehabilitation of veterans by providing therapeutic supplies to the Veteran Administration facilities. Most Veteran Administration facilities provide the basic medical care, but many veterans need other therapies for their injuries.
Thank you, HeroBox for what you do for the active military, their families, and the veterans!
I am grateful to HeroBox for everything they do for the active military, their families, and our veterans. I am also grateful to Gaslowitz Frankel for the opportunity to support this great cause.
To learn more about HeroBox, visit:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Google Plus
About the Charitable Giving Project
To mark the firm’s 25th anniversary, Gaslowitz Frankel has decided to give back to the community that has been instrumental in our growth. Our attorneys and staff will choose 25 charities to be the beneficiaries of $500 contributions throughout 2014 calendar year.
To learn more about our charitable giving project and the firm of Gaslowitz Frankel LLC, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
