SOT-AZ has been busy this spring putting your donations to work. Check out our latest veteran service projects.
Pinal County Veterans Memorial Foundation: SOT-AZ Troop Appreciation Committee donated $500 to help reach their start-up funding goal to provide a Veterans Memorial Park in Casa Grande for fallen Pinal County veterans.
Pinal County Standdown: Bringing together a wide variety of veteran service organizations to provide necessities of daily living as well as counseling on a multitude of veteran health, financial and legal issues. SOT-AZ, for the third year, provided 10 volunteers to help with registration, traffic control and handing out clothing to dependents and their families at this wonderful event held at the National Guard Armory, Florence, AZ late April 2015. Additionally, SOT-AZ/Standdown Organizing Committee provided $1,000 from your generous donations to help with advertising the event, which has been lacking in previous years. Twenty-five banners were purchased providing Standdown event details and displayed in the most visible, veteran-frequented locations around the county.
Packages From Home and Packages for Hope: $500 donated to each organization for basic necessities to deployed troops around the globe. Your donations help provide hygiene supplies; imagine they serve us/our country yet are not provided these basic items.
Fisher House Project – Tucson VA Hospital: $500 is being donated to help construct this facility that will house family members of military personnel and veterans who are in the hospital for treatment or rehab.
The following success story deserves a special note of thanks. Please take time to read about one of our local businesses, Dallas at Gidden Tire Pros, who generously helped many local veterans.
The Story: SOT-AZ was contacted by Sonnette Chaput, Director of the Eloy Veteran Center, asking for our help. The request was for tires for the van that local minister Pastor Fred drives throughout the county and into the desert helping needy veterans and their families as well as the homeless veterans of Pinal County living year around in our deserts. Pastor Fred’s rapport with these homeless vets has helped him minister to them as well as provide them food, clothing and supplies donated by concerned people like our SOT-AZ members.
The Success: SOT-AZ volunteers contacted several tire dealers in Casa Grande asking for a “deal” on tires to help Pastor Fred continue his invaluable service; and that is where Dallas of Gidden Tire Pros stepped in. He contacted his suppliers and arranged to install four new tires on Pastor Fred’s van at no charge!
The Thanks: SOT-AZ as well as Pastor Fred and the many needy veterans are deeply indebted to Gidden Tire Pros for their generosity and humanitarian efforts. We encourage our members and all Robson Ranch residents to stop by and thank Dallas at Gidden Tire Pros, 1390 E. Florence Blvd., Casa Grande, 520-836-8000. He truly deserves recognition for his act of kindness—and an opportunity for our future business.