On Saturday, December 5, the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) issued this press release describing an expanded Veterans support initiative. Of particular note to AMAC’s non-profit affiliate–the AMAC Foundation–is the key role we’re playing as part of the AMAC team in shaping this initative. For example, several members of our Board of Directors, along with several Foundation staff members, are contributing participants in this project. Central to this role is the “For Veterans” segment of the Foundation’s website, where Veterans and their families can be linked to hundreds of reference items and information sources assembled to aid their search for helpful support.
Here’s a reprint of the press release:
The Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) has long held the support of our country’s armed forces Veterans to be a priority, having through the years endorsed a number of initiatives aimed at improving the lives of millions and millions of citizens who have answered the call to serve. Initiatives like those designed to improve the quality of health care for Veterans, address the growing challenge of homelessness affecting Veterans, and aid Veteran-owned small businesses are but a few of the areas where AMAC has pledged support, all with a common theme of honoring those who have defended our freedoms and our way of life.
Now, in a move to take its Veteran-support commitment to a higher level, AMAC has launched its “Veterans 2021 Project,” a multifaceted blueprint for organizing an approach on several coordinated levels. Working in conjunction with a variety of established organizations providing assistance and guidance to Veterans and their families, the “Veterans 2021 Project” will expand AMAC’s reach into the Veteran community. It will provide a number of specific new programs intended to make a material contribution to the benefit of this large and growing community of American Heroes.
Target areas for the “Veterans 2021 Project” are focused on building alliances with Veteran Support Organizations and major organizations dedicated to supporting the Veteran community. The intent will be to serve in a liaison capacity between support providers and the Veterans and Veteran families needing assistance and guidance across the many services available to them. The project will work through partnerships with the U.S. Veterans Administration, the Hiring Our Heroes affiliate program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Lone Survivor Foundation, and other formal support organizations to foster the mutual exchange of assistance and information, all to the benefit of the Veterans Community.
On a more granular level, the “Veterans 2021 Project” proposes to track and disseminate detail about legislative initiatives introduced in Congress on matters relating to the Veteran community, and will operate a clearinghouse of programs, information sources, and resources available to fill specific needs and interests of the Veteran community. The clearinghouse is housed and maintained in databases carried on AMAC’s computer network and will be available on-demand for search by interested parties.
The “Veterans 2021 Project” is a coordinated effort involving input from AMAC, Inc., AMAC Action, and the AMAC Foundation in a concerted effort to help meet the needs of the Veteran community in America. AMAC Action President Bob Carlstrom will serve as primary spokesman for the project, coordinating the activities of a project team committed to the cause.
Congratulations to AMAC – while I recognize that there are many, and varied, Veteran organizations – they all seem to have areas that they try to focus on; and many do overlap. My wife and I are both vets, so we both have had affiliations with different organizations. I have to say that I am most grateful to the Wounded Warrior Project – they have reached out to and helped my wife in many ways (PTSD). WWP has a lot of talented and caring people, and I am very thankful for their help and caring.