Other Ways To Donate
Bremer County Veterans Affairs Food Pantry
We’ve recently opened a small food bank and are accepting donations of non-perishable items only. Without a freezer or refrigerator we cannot accept fresh fruits and vegetables or products that require freezing at this time. Please only donate recently purchased items as anything that’s past its expiration date will have to be discarded. We take items during normal working hours and are happy to help you carry them from your vehicle.
Bremer County Veterans Affairs Coat Bank
With winter nearly upon us, we’ve began accepting donations for winter coats and jackets. If you have winter coats that no longer fits, are out of style or you just don’t want anymore, we’ll gladly accept them at the office. You’d be amazed at the number of people that simply don’t have the money for a new coat! All we ask is that they are clean and “serviceable.” Small tears and holes we can work with! It doesn’t matter if they’re men’s, women’s or children’s; they’re all needed and you just never know the impact that a warm coat can make!
The Bremer County Veterans Affairs’ Neighborhood Closet Account
Two years ago, we partnered with The Neighborhood Closet in Waverly to provide clothing and cleaning supplies for veterans in need. Back then, they had some great stuff for the whole family. Anyone could and still can drop off their gently used items and ask them to put it on the Veteran’s Affairs account. We would use that credit to allow veterans and their family members pick up winter coats, interview clothing, laundry detergent or anything else that a veteran’s family would need.
The demand has surpassed our Closet coffers, so if you’re doing some fall cleaning and have gently used women’s or children’s clothing, furniture, DVD’s, appliances, art, or anything else that The Neighborhood Closet will consign and you’re willing to part with, please drop it off at the Closet and tell them to put in on the Veteran’s Affairs account. The credit stays at The Closet and in your community.
The Bremer County Veterans Affairs’ Stores for Unmet Need
The Bremer County Veterans Affairs Stores for Unmet Need was created to fund programs not funded by the taxpayers of Bremer County nor through donations by the local Veteran Service Organizations. Your tax-deductible donation of 15% on every purchase is 100% administration cost-free and will help send packages to our troops overseas; provide food, clothing and shelter to those Veterans in need; and fund Veteran projects in the community not already funded through other means.
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Your Donation Can Make A Difference
Bremer County Veterans Affairs began accepting monetary donations in July of 2012 to fund programs unfunded or underfunded by the taxpayers of Bremer County. Many of these programs assist veterans and their families with the basic necessities of life to include food, water, shelter and clothing. When veterans would request assistance, we would verify the need and provide help but also look for ways that the veteran could provide for him or herself.
How It Makes A Difference
In July, 2012, a young veteran made a call to the Waverly-Shell Rock United Way. He was looking for a homeless shelter that he could stay for the night and he did not realize what that one call would do for him. United Way contacted us and we set to task the reasoning for this veteran’s call for help. We contacted the Waverly Police Department and asked them to meet us where the veteran said was staying for the night and we heard his story for the first time. He had already walked 300 miles with his dog and had stopped to ask for assistance along his route. He was met with organizations who refused him and continued on his way. As he told his story, we realized that he and his companion both needed immediate medical attention. He was transported to the Iowa City VA Medical Center by one of Bremer County’s volunteers and the Medical Center immediately admitted him after hearing that he attempted suicide that very morning before we met him. Our volunteer brought the dog back to Waverly and Rock River Retrievers offered to care for and house this veterans dog. They removed over 40 ticks from the dog and he was exhausted but would survive.
The next morning, we would travel to Iowa City to immediately begin the process of providing this veteran with the long-term care he would require. He contacted anyone and everyone that we thought might be able to help and through countless hours, over three months time and with plenty of patience, we had a safe and stable environment that this young veteran could call home.
He now lives in Waverly, having just purchased a home and he has spent the last two years giving back to the community that saved his life. He still struggles from time to time but he’s, for the most part, standing on his own two feet. Instead of asking for help, he’s now providing it through volunteer work, donations and truly being a neighbor.
Your tax-deductible donation of 15% on every purchase is 100% administration cost-free and will help send packages to our troops overseas; provide food, clothing and shelter to those Veterans in need; and fund Veteran projects in the community not already funded through other means.
What We’ve Learned
One of the many things we learned with this eye-opening experience was that the resources available were not keeping up with the need. We made it our mission to never allow another veteran to pass through our county, in dire need, asking for help and not receive it. Since this veteran and his dog made our community his home in mid 2012, we have been able to help numerous other veterans in need through individual and organizational donations. We offer many different ways to donate to YOUR Bremer County veterans and there are few other programs in the community that offer such direct support. Please consider making a contribution to our cause by a method of your choosing. Your donations are tax deductible and 100% administration cost-free. In other words, every penny goes to directly support our Bremer County veterans.
Monetary Donations
Monetary donations are now being accepted on our website from $5.00 – $200.00. If you would like to make a donation of greater than $200.00, you may simply add additional increments to your cart. If you choose, you may also request that your donation goes towards the following programs. Simply enter which program(s) you would like to support in the comments section during checkout. Of course, we still take donations in the office or, if you prefer, you may mail your check or money order payable to Bremer County Veterans Affairs. In the memo section, enter which program you would like to support.
- Emergency Housing Assistance
- Emergency Food Assistance
- Emergency Energy Assistance
- Transportation Assistance
- Packages to Our Troops
- Update of War Dead Plaques
- Funding for Our Historical Programs