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Veterans F.O.R./VVAW Emergency Food Card Assistance Project

By Jim Murphy

Veterans' Fellowship Of Reconciliation and Vietnam Veterans Against the War has just launched a new project. Because the VA is overwhelmed with the needs of the veterans of the American wars of the past 12 years, we hope to share a model project that provides short-term food relief to young veterans living on the edge. We are donating $50 food cards (gift cards) from Greenstar (our large local food co-op) and Wegmans to Iraq and Afghanistan vets and Vietnam vets. Local veterans and allies are matching the donations of Greenstar and Wegmans.

The 1st Unitarian Society of Ithaca (FUSIT) is the hub for this project. Any veteran that is interested can contact us to arrange a meeting. At FUSIT we will verify their experience and provide a first card. At the initial meeting we will offer assistance and advice with regard to utilizing VA services. We will help with initial transportation and accompaniment, if desired.

Anyone interested in our blueprint, please contact us at ivetsfor@gmail.com or by phone at (607) 319-0980. We feel this is another way to unite veterans and community. War is a moral injury as well as a psychological, neurological or physical injury. "Coming Home" is never simple and hundreds of thousands of Vietnam Veterans died by 1980. We can't let this happen again.

Jim Murphy is a longtime member of VVAW.