Greetings TRR members, and hope you all have a good and safe Thanksgiving.
This year we are doing a Secret Santa project for the Idaho Veterans Wellness Center (IVWC) instead of an individual family. Sandy Thomas has volunteered to take the lead for this. Below is a flyer with complete information on how you can participate.
With the crazy year that this has been, the funds to operate IVWC have dried up. The IVWC depends on walk-in donations and a minimal grant that covers a few months of rent.
With the limitations Covid-19 is placing on this nonprofit organization, the justifications for receiving the grant are questionable. The operation costs to keep the doors open are the same, but social distancing protocols limit the size of the class availability. Privately, the owner of this nonprofit is a TRR member, a disabled vet, and a single dad of three teens. Most of his income goes to paying IVWC rent and operating costs without ado.
The IVWC has helped and continues to help many veterans, all cost free to the Veteran. It practices healing through the arts, such as sculpting, painting, stained glass, etc. It also provides free counseling to veterans and patient advocacy support when veterans do not get what they need from the VA.
On the First Thursday event every month, food is prepared for everyone who visits the facility to enjoy the veterans’ artwork.
Therefore, we think IVWC is a perfect candidate for the yearly Secret Santa surprise and are excited to share the opportunity with anyone who would like to join in.
Please contribute what you can, and pass on this information if you know of anyone who may be interested. We will present the gifts to the IVWC in a Santa bag on Christmas Eve.
Ho, ho, ho! This is going to be fun! And our support will be very important and much appreciated.