Montel Williams putting dogs "Forever In My Heart"

Montel Williams to headline gala for Middletown charity that gives vets free service dogs

Middletown Press
By Press Staff
September 4, 2019

“His work and devotion to military and veteran community matches the mission of our foundation,” Alicki said of Williams, who is hosting a new season of “Military Makeover with Montel,” a reality show focused on rebuilding houses and lives of military and veterans families.

MIDDLETOWN — A charity gala to benefit the Middletown-based Forever In My Heart Foundation will be held Sept. 28 at the Foxwoods Resort Casino Grand Pequot Ballroom.

The event, which features Montel Williams as celebrity guest speaker, will run from 5 to 10 p.m.

“Forever In My Heart Foundation was founded to make an impact in the lives of homeless dogs in animal shelters and disabled U.S. veterans in our communities,” Alicki said.

Heidi Voight from NBC Connecticut will emcee the evening, and Los Angeles-based Dr. Barbara J. Gitlitz, who “is devoted to changing laws and protecting animals against cruelty and abuse,” are also expected to attend, according to foundation founder and president Mira Alicki, owner of Mira’s Jewelry Designs at 476 Main St.

The event will include live entertainment, food prepared by Foxwoods’ executive chef and dancing. Proceeds will go toward the foundation’s mission to save dogs in shelters and improve lives of Connecticut’s disabled veterans, according to Alicki.
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When will older veterans matter enough after waiting longer for help?

Majority of veterans in Florida are pre-9 11 but not helped by new charities!

There are 1.5 million veterans in Florida. The majority of those veterans are over the age of 50. Yet no one seems bothered by the fact that all the groups popping up in Florida will not even acknowledge how they need just as much help, but have waited much longer for it. They also happen to be the majority of the known veterans committing suicide.

Cohen Veterans Network opening first Florida clinic for post 9/11 veterans in Tampa

WFTS News
Aug 25, 2019

TAMPA, Fla. — The Cohen Veterans Network is opening their first clinic in Florida to serve post 9/11 veterans on Monday.

More than 230,000 veterans in the state will be able to get customized life-saving mental health care at no, or low cost through the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Aspire Health Partners.

The Cohen Veterans Network is a 501(c)(3) national not for profit philanthropic network of mental health clinics for post 9/11 veterans and their families.

The expected wait between first contact and a first appointment at the new Cohen Clinic is less than one week. For anyone in crisis, the Cohen Clinic will schedule same day appointments.

“After closely examining the post-9/11 veteran population throughout Florida it was very clear that Tampa was the ideal location to set up our first location in a state with a demonstrated need for mental health care,” said Dr. Anthony Hassan, President and CEO of the Cohen Veterans Network. “Soon we will be able to serve veterans and their families across the state via our confidential, online video platform. Our clients will be able to receive tailored, high-quality care from the new clinic or from home in most circumstances.”
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"Ultimate Tribute to The King" and disabled combat medic

Top Elvis impersonator coming to The Villages to raise money for disabled veteran’s new home

Villages News
By Larry D. Croom
August 13, 2019

Villagers for Veterans has worked tirelessly over the past couple of years to raise money to build the special house for Kelly, a 17-year Army veteran who was injured during a 2002 training accident while preparing to deploy to Iraq. Kelly’s spine was crushed when a cable snapped during a sling load operation. As a result of her injuries, the Army medic, who lives alone in the Tampa area, was permanently paralyzed and has very limited use of one arm.

Dwight Icenhower, who has made a full-time career as Elvis Presley impersonator, will perform his ‘Ultimate Tribute to The King’ show at the Savannah Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

Villagers for Veterans is bringing a special performer to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown – one who strives to keep the memories of “The King of Rock and Roll” alive forever.

Dwight Icenhower, who has made a full-time career as Elvis Presley impersonator, will perform his “Ultimate Tribute to The King” show alongside his Blue Suede Band at the Savannah Center at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18. His appearance is a fundraiser being put on by the group to raise money for a smart home that’s being built for disabled Army veteran Sgt. Pam Kelly on the Historic Side of The Villages.
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Reprehensible takers stole from Vietnam Veterans of America

Thieves take boxed donations slated for veterans; Resident not happy about it

WHIO 7 News
By: J. Frazier Smith
August 09, 2019

HUBER HEIGHTS — A military veteran is not happy about the thief or thieves who took six of the 13 boxes of donated household items his wife put out in front of their Huber Heights home for a veteran's organization.

"I think it's pretty low," the man said Friday afternoon, asking not to be identified by name. "It's the principal. Here I am trying to help veterans and somebody's being a thief."

He didn't call police because they couldn't do anything about the theft of the boxes, which he said contained clothes, silverware, boots, a toy box and more.

The man said his wife put the boxes out Friday morning and went to shower. By the time she got out, 10 minutes later, the six boxes were gone.

"We were just downsizing and didn't need the stuff," the man said. "They wanted it more than the veterans."
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This story infuriates me!

Two weeks ago, we had Vietnam Veterans of America come to pick up a huge donation of furniture, household items and clothes. We are also downsizing, for a move to New Hampshire.

We could have had a yard sale and made a lot of money. We could have donated to any of the other groups out there. We decided to donated to the group who represents my Vietnam veteran husband and fights for all veterans.

Vietnam Veterans of America make it easy for people to donate. You pick the date and where you want to put your items and they come to pick them up. Really easy for generous givers and receivers, but makes it easy for reprehensible takers too.

Will I do it again after reading this story? You bet! Once we see what size house we are moving into, there will be more happily donated from us to the VVA!

Struggling veterans cheated out of charity cash

Pierce County veterans charity marred by missing money and lies

KING 5 News
Author: Susannah Frame
August 1, 2019

A KING 5 investigation found thousands of dollars meant to support veterans went instead to casinos and a private bank account.

A review of Washington State Patrol criminal background records also shows Hibbler is an eight-time convicted felon. She’s spent time in prison for theft and forgery, stemming from cases in 2007 and 2008. Her convictions were for stealing money from the bank accounts of two Western Washington companies while working as a bookkeeper.

Thousands of dollars that were supposed to support struggling veterans in Pierce County instead was spent in local casinos, withdrawn from casino ATM machines, and transferred into someone’s personal bank account, a KING 5 investigation found.

The four-month investigation revealed financial devastation and a chaotic atmosphere at the long-standing charity, Veterans Independent Enterprises of Washington (VIEW). Veterans interviewed by KING said the conditions have left them back on the brink of homelessness, poverty and addiction.
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Simpson bilked people into donating money...and goes to jail

Marine vet sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for scamming money from Gold Star mom, Marine families

Marine Corps Times
By: Shawn Snow
July 23, 2019

Court documents revealed that the victims of Simpson’s charity scam included active-duty Marines and the mother of a Marine killed in the 2015 attack on the military recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Simpson was ordered to pay restitution of $141,709.44 to the victims of his charity scam, dubbed Marines and Mickey, where Simpson bilked people into donating money to help Marines and families attend Disney and Marine boot camp graduation.

Marine veteran John Shannon Simpson was sentenced to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud, United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced Tuesday.

Simpson was ordered to pay restitution of $141,709.44 to the victims of his charity scam, dubbed Marines and Mickey, where Simpson bilked people into donating money to help Marines and families attend Disney and Marine boot camp graduation, the release detailed.

Sentencing was handed down by United States District Judge David C. Norton of Charleston, South Carolina, who also sentenced Simpson to three years of supervised release following his prison term, according to a press release.

Simpson will serve his prison term consecutively with a nine year state sentence for sexual assault he is already serving in Florida.
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VFW added 25,000 new members during the past year

VFW snaps 27-year membership decline and adds nearly 25,000 new members

Military Times
By: Brian Mackley
July 16, 2019

This year, the VFW helped advocate on the behalf of 526,000 veterans for $8.4 billion in disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. It also highlighted it’s prominent legislative advocacy for veterans in the nation’s capital, as well.

Don Foran, who as a teenager spent the last months of World War II on dangerous assignments driving a jeep, restored and donated the same model of a 1942 jeep to the Canyon VFW post. (Lauren Koski/The Amarillo Globe News via AP)

The Veterans of Foreign Wars said it has added almost 25,000 new members during the past year, ending a long period of steady decline.

Officials with the 120-year-old veteran service organization attribute the uptick to a new strategy to target new members using social media, as well as word of mouth, to inform veterans how much work they do to serve veterans.

"The VFW is making a difference in the lives of countless others every day, and thanks to the power of social media and the internet, more people are taking notice and wanting to be part of our team,” VFW National Commander B.J. Lawrence said in a recent post on the organizations website.
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Robert Craft gave Jarheads $100,000 hugs

Robert Kraft Pledges $100,000 To Families Of Motorcyclists Killed In NH Crash

CBS News Boston
July 13. 2019

“I know you have a GoFundMe page and it said you’re looking to raise 700 (thousand dollars) and you’re somewhere near $560,000, so our family, we’re going to commit $100,000 to that,” Kraft said.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

“And if you don’t get to the 700 today, we’re making it up whatever it is,” the Patriots owner said. “We are all Patriots and you are the true Patriots.”

FOXBORO (CBS/AP) — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft made a surprise announcement Saturday, as he pledged to donate $100,000 to the families of seven motorcyclists killed in a tragic crash in New Hampshire last month.

More than a thousand bikers came from across the country to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro to celebrate the lives of the men and women who were killed when a pickup truck and trailer crashed into a group of motorcycles in Randolph, New Hampshire on June 21. They were members or supporters of the Jarheads, a New England motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses.

Kraft met the group in the parking lot for the event Saturday, which raised money for the families of the victims. When he got up on stage to address the crowd, he made this surprise announcement.
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Put Vets First shut down after putting veterans last on the to do list

Veterans' Charities, PAC Shut Doors Amid Fundraising Scrutiny

Military.com
By Patricia Kime
July 8, 2019

The PAC, for example, raised $4.8 million, with the telemarketers netting $4.4 million and Hampton receiving $183,500 in salary, according to the report.

Homeless veteran. Getty Images

A Virginia-based political action committee purportedly established to support veterans' issues was disbanded Saturday amid questions over its fundraising and expense practices.

The Put Vets First! PAC filed termination paperwork Saturday with the Federal Election Commission, according to a report Monday by the Center for Public Integrity. The PAC appears to have followed the same fundraising and expense patterns as two affiliated nonprofits, all established by a retired Army Reserve major. The organizations raised millions but donated little to veterans causes or candidates.

Founded by Brian Arthur Hampton, the organizations began pulling in cash around 2013, when Hampton hired telemarketing firms to conduct fundraising. Yet according to Internal Revenue Service tax filings, the groups gave little of those earnings to veterans' causes, instead paying most of the money back to the telemarketing firms and covering administrative costs, including salaries.
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Rep. Duncan Hunter's wife pleads guilty to corruption charges

This is why there is so much corruption in Washington. Too many vote for the party instead of the person and refuse to hold them accountable!

Rep. Duncan Hunter’s legal fight tougher as wife pleads guilty in corruption case

The Associated Press
By: Julie Watson
June 14, 2019

She said other expenses charged on the card included $399 for zip lining for Rep. Hunter and two of his three children; $500 in airline travel expenses for their pet bunny, Eggburt; and $351 for a family lunch in connection with a child's Irish dance competition.

SAN DIEGO — Indicted six-term GOP Congressman Duncan Hunter has held steadfast to his contention that a corruption case against him is the result of a political witch hunt.

Margaret Hunter, left, wife of indicted Republican U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, arrives at federal courthouse in downtown San Diego on Thursday, June 13, 2019. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP)

But that argument got tougher Thursday for the former Marine and close ally of President Donald Trump after his wife, who worked as his campaign manager, pleaded guilty to a single corruption count and acknowledged being a co-conspirator with her husband in spending more than $200,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses.

Margaret Hunter accepted a plea deal that calls for 59 charges to be dismissed in exchange for her testimony, full cooperation with prosecutors and other concessions. The conspiracy charge to which she pleaded includes all the allegations contained in the 60-count indictment.

"The walls were closing in on him before, now this just makes it more claustrophobic," said Jason Forge, a former federal attorney who prosecuted California Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham in 2005 for one of the worst bribery scandals to ever bring down a federal lawmaker.

Rep. Hunter "has fewer and fewer options. It's not just his campaign manager. It's his campaign manager and his wife," Forge said.
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Florida veteran survived Iraq, Fort Hood massacre and attempted suicide by cop

A Suicide-by-Cop Attempt Prompts a Plan to Use Marijuana to Save Veterans

Miami New Times
CARLOS MILLER
JUNE 14, 2019

“Seeing that one of my own service members, a major that I’m supposed to look up to, couldn’t handle his own PTSD and decided to shoot up a soldier-reprocessing site made me feel absolutely terrible," Ortiz says. “I had survivor’s guilt, and I still have survivor’s guilt.”

Having failed at a previous suicide attempt, South Florida Army veteran J.C. Ortiz was determined to succeed the second time.

It was 2009 and he had just returned from his second tour of Iraq, where he had experienced a grueling 15 months of continual combat. Four years earlier, after another 18 months of war, he'd begun suffering from PTSD. He would become addicted to opioids.

Now the plan was to lock himself with bottles of rum and pills in the bathroom of his home on the Fort Hood military base in Texas. Through the door, he would tell his wife he was going to take his own life, knowing she would call military police.

Florida is home to 17 percent of the nation’s homeless, according to the U.S. Census. And the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimates veterans make up 11 percent of the nation's homeless population. Ortiz says there are 3,500 homeless veterans in South Florida.
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Vietnam veterans step up after fire wiped out a "brother" on Memorial Day

SW Arkansas veteran gets help from fellow veterans after fire

ArkLaTex
By: Heather Wright
Posted: Jun 04, 2019

HEMPSTEAD COUNTY, Ark. (KTAL/KMSS) - A Vietnam Veteran whose home was destroyed by a fire on Memorial Day weekend received some assistance on Tuesday from some fellow veterans.

Vietnam Veteran Wendell Murry said he's grateful for the outpouring of support from his community and his fellow veterans. Tuesday, he was given a $2,000 check from the Texarkana chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America. "I got on one man's shirt and another man's britches, but I'm here," said Murry, smiling.

Vietnam Veterans of America #278 Chapter President Greg Beck said, "That's to get them by until the insurance company comes. You know, you need clothes, you need food, they lost everything."

Murry and his family lost their home and most of their possessions on May 24. He said the fire started in a bedroom. "Before anybody could do anything, well, that room was enveloped in fire."
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Non-profits doing the work struggle to reach veterans in need

Nonprofits Struggle to Reach At-Risk Veterans Who Shun VA Services

Military.com
By Richard Sisk
26 May 2019

In addition to the VA and other government agencies, there are traditional veterans service organizations and more than 40,000 support groups registered as nonprofits with the Internal Revenue Service, according to the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University.

Participants of the 2019 377th Security Forces Squadron Suicide Awareness Ruck March stand in formation at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, March 29, 2019. The ruck march was created to support The Brave Badge Initiative Facebook page. The Facebook page was created due to the increased rates in suicide in the security forces career field in the past year and aims to give Defenders another place to go to when they are struggling with mental health issues. (Austin J. Prisbrey/U.S. Air Force)

NEW YORK CITY -- From a warren of desks in a downtown Manhattan office building, the small team of social workers and counselors takes calls from veterans who either won't go to the Department of Veterans Affairs or are bewildered on where to turn for help.

This is the Rapid Response Referral Program of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an effort to combat what Navy Reserve Cmdr. Jeremy Butler, IAVA's chief executive officer, calls the "navigation" problem for veterans trying to find the right fit in a vast and disjointed support system.

"It's an Impossible task, knowing everything that's out there" among the various groups offering help, and "each group seems to exist in its own bubble." Army Staff Sgt. Dennis Higgins
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Rolling Thunder's Last Ride in DC

Rolling To A Halt: Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally Ends 30-Year Tradition

NPR
May 25, 2019


Roll on, no more.

After a three-decade run, a veteran advocacy group will hold its last motorcycle demonstration ride — called "Rolling Thunder" — in the U.S. capital this Memorial Day weekend.

U.S. Marine Tim Chambers salutes to participants in last year's Rolling Thunder motorcycle demonstration. Jose Luis Magana/AP

The nonprofit that organizes the rally, Rolling Thunder Inc., was founded in the late 1980s to bring public attention to prisoners of war and those missing in action and to hold the government to account for veterans who never made it home.

"We signed basically a blank check that said, 'I'll give you up to – and including – my life to defend our Constitution and defend the American freedoms,' " Doc Stewart, the group's New England regional liaison, told NPR's Amy Held. " 'But the return is, you're going to ensure that I come home afterwards.' "

Every year, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists converge near the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C., then rumble through the city's downtown.

But next year's Memorial Day weekend will be a quiet one.

The main reason the organizers gave for calling it quits is financial; it costs them about $200,000 last year to hold the rally, WAMU's Mikaela Lefrak reports. A lot of that money went to the Pentagon for things like security, toilets and parking lot use, according to Rolling Thunder President Joe Bean.
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Useless suicide awareness miss information but make millions?

The insanity of sharing defeat instead of defiance

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 14, 2019

"We just want to make everyone aware of the number" is what one of the organizers had to say about raising funds for Mission 22.

As nauseating as that sounds to us, what makes it worse is, it is actually the truth behind all of the awareness groups running around the country, pulling stunts and getting publicity for lying.

This news coverage just happened but the latest suicide report from the VA had the known number at "20" a day. The following report has the VA saying that 22 a day number is tied to PTSD and TBI, without mentioning that there are a lot of other reasons for what is happening. Then again, they have no clue what to do about any of it.

That is what they are doing when they keep saying stupid stuff like their goal is to make people aware of a number instead of making people aware of how they can help change the outcome.

I have been in a lot of debates over this. When you ask them what their purpose is, they say it is to raise awareness, not change the outcome. When you ask who it is directed toward, they say the people of this country. When you tell them that civilians have their own problem with suicides increasing, they change the story. They then claim it is letting veterans know they are killing themselves. Problem with that is, they already know.They do not know they can heal.

So what the hell is this all about? It is insanity to the max! 

If you are a veteran suffering instead of healing, know that if you #BreakTheSilence you can #TakeBackYourLife and defy death again! You survived what caused PTSD in the first place and can do a hell of a lot better than settling for being reminded of how many of your buddies were not helped by hearing other veteran killed themselves.

*******

Area events to benefit Mission 22 for veterans

Herald Banner
By Brad Kellar | Herald-Banner Staff
May 14, 2019

“Everything is going to Mission 22. We just wanted to make everyone aware of the number.” Franchesca Knight

Jeremy Matherly’s 2014 Mustang, Warfighter, is expected to be one of the entries at a May 18 event in Lone Oak, benefiting the Mission 22 organization Courtesy photo

LONE OAK — As the Memorial Day holiday grows closer, multiple events are being scheduled in the area to raise awareness of how veterans face daily challenges with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has reported that approximately 22 veterans commit suicide each day after their deployment due to PTSD and TBI, which prompted the establishment of Mission 22, a nationwide organization dedicated to assisting veterans and their families cope with the issues.

Charles Barrow of Lone Oak is hosting a car show and 5K run in downtown Lone Oak on May 18 to benefit Mission 22, and said there is a personal reason behind the event.

“I suffer from PTSD,” he said.

Barrow, a veteran of the Seabees, spent 10 years in the U.S. Navy, with stops overseas in Japan, Guam, Cuba and elsewhere. The military life is a family tradition.

“Me, my dad and my uncle were all in Kuwait and Afghanistan at the same time,” Barrow said.
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Florida veteran moved back to California...and into "Faith Defines Us"

Affordable housing helps veteran start clothing company

The Signal
Emily Alvarenga
April 18, 2019

Now, Martin owns his own business. “Faith Defines Us” is an online Christian apparel brand that, according to Martin, is “more than just selling clothes, it’s like a ministry.”

Tommy Martin served in the U.S. Army for six years before moving to California from Florida.

“I just wanted something different from where I grew up,” Martin said.

He then “played catch up by going back to school” and went on to get three bachelor’s degrees in marketing, business law and design.

Martin and his wife were living in San Francisco and looking for Veteran Affairs housing benefits a couple of years ago, when they stumbled upon the Santa Clarita Veteran Enriched Neighborhood.

A total of 78 single-family homes were being built by Homes 4 Families, a nonprofit dedicated to helping create affordable housing for veterans.

“(My wife) grew up in Santa Clarita, and didn’t want to move back, but God works in mysterious ways,” Martin said.
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Katelyn McClure, 29, pleaded guilty to theft by deception

New Jersey woman pleads guilty in 'feel good' GoFundMe scam with homeless vet

NBC News
By Tim Stelloh
April 16, 2019

Prosecutors have said that she and her then-boyfriend concocted a story about the man giving the couple his last $20 when they ran out of gas.

Kate McClure appears in court at Burlington County Superior Court in Mount Holly, N.J. on April 15, 2019.Joe Lamberti / Camden Courier-Post via AP, Pool

A New Jersey woman pleaded guilty Monday to helping swindle thousands of GoFundMe donors out of more than $400,000 with what authorities called a “fairy tale narrative.”

Katelyn McClure, 29, pleaded guilty to theft by deception and will serve a four-year term in state prison, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

McClure and D’Amico created a GoFundMe campaign that aimed to raise $10,000 to get Bobbitt off the streets.

The then-couple raked in $402,000 from 14,000 donors — a sum authorities say they quickly spent on gambling, a BMW and a trip to Las Vegas, among other things.
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Homeless 'good Samaritan' gets probation in GoFundMe scam
By: DAVID PORTER, Associated Press
Posted: Apr 12, 2019

MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (AP) - A homeless man was sentenced to five years' probation Friday after admitting last month that he conspired with a couple to scam the public out of $400,000 in donations by concocting a feel-good story about him helping a motorist in distress.

Johnny Bobbitt had pleaded guilty in state court to conspiracy to commit theft by deception. Conditions of his sentence include inpatient drug treatment and cooperation with prosecutors against his co-defendants. If he violates those conditions, he will be sentenced to five years in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 18 months.
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Shepherd Center helped veteran heal...now he helps others

Army veteran once called his parents to say good-bye as he contemplated suicide. Now he helps other struggling veterans.

11 Alive 
Author: Hope Ford
April 8, 2019

Gary Herber made a plan and waited until he had 10 percent battery left on his phone to call his parents to say goodbye. Years later, he works with the same program that helped him change his life around.

ATLANTA — Two veterans committed suicide outside of VA medical clinics in Georgia over a weekend in April.

It's a harsh reminder of the struggle and pain of many veterans in America. Roughly, one veteran dies by suicide every 65 minutes in the country.

Gary Herber was almost one of them. In November of 2010, Herber made a plan and called his family to let them know.

"I waited until I has about 10 percent left on my battery and called my parents to say goodbye," Herber recalled. "In a 10-minute phone call, thank God they were able to get the New York City Police to my house and they kicked the door in and saved my life."

Herber served in the Army for close to five years and while in Afghanistan, the truck he was in was hit with a bomb.

"In that moment, my whole life changed," he stated.

He returned to America, his health problems consuming him as he isolated himself from the world around him.

"From chronic pain to anger to anxiety, I just decided I was done with the world and no one could understand what I was going through," he explained.

But that door kick from police saved him and he ended up in Atlanta at a program called SHARE Military Initiative with the Shepherd's Center.

"I spent 14 weeks at the Shepherd Center center and it turned my life around 180 degrees," he said.

Herber now works with the center, run by The Shepherd's Men, a group of veterans and civilians, who help raise awareness, fund raise and work with veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. The programs at the center help address their needs and veteran suicide, with over 500 veterans graduating from SHARE since 2008.
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Scam charity called Marines and Mickey "founder" guilty!

Marine veteran running scam charity targeting Marine families pleads guilty to wire fraud

Marine Corps Times
By: Shawn Snow  
April 2, 2019

From 2014–2016, Simpson raised nearly $481,000, but court documents said he pocketed $391,000 for his own “personal use and enrichment.”

Disney's Mickey and Minnie share a moment with a Marine's child during the Horton Plaza holiday celebration in San Diego, Nov. 30, 2010. A Marine veteran running a scam charity called Marines and Mickey pleaded guilty to wire fraud, according to the United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

Disney's Mickey and Minnie share a moment with a Marine's child during the Horton Plaza holiday celebration in San Diego, Nov. 30, 2010.

John Shannon Simpson faces 20 years in prison or and/or a fine of $250,000, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Sherri A. Lydon, District of South Carolina.

Feds say the 43 year-old founder of the charity bilked people into donating money to help send Marines and families to Disney resorts and to cover the cost of attending boot camp graduation.

Victims of the scam included active-duty Marines, and Cathy Wells, whose son, Lance Cpl. Skip Wells, was killed in the 2015 attack on the military recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to a report from the Charlotte Observer.

According to court documents, Wells gave nearly $135,000 dollars to the charity, some from her son’s death benefits.

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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is closing the Billets for homeless veterans? Seriously?

In gentrifying Echo Park, the VA is forcing these homeless veterans to leave

Los Angeles Times
By GALE HOLLAND
MAR 31, 2019

“I know it’s weird for a 51-year old Naval Academy graduate to say, but it’s a scary day. I understand there are veterans here, but I haven’t met any yet. I knew I had it good. Now I really know I had it good.” Jeff Petrie

Jeff Petrie, 51, is one of the last residents to move out of the Billets, a housing program in Echo Park for homeless veterans. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is closing the Billets for good. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

For six years, dozens of homeless veterans have recovered from trauma in nine cottages along a winding residential road in Echo Park. The Billets — military jargon for civilian quarters — has been a model.

The 72-bed program places as much as 70% of its chronically homeless veterans — male and female — in permanent housing, according to Volunteers of America, which operates the program. It’s based in a tranquil, leafy and gentrifying neighborhood of families and young professionals a short walk from a doughnut shop, a grocery store and multiple bus lines.

But on Monday, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is closing the Billets for good.

Volunteers of America officials said the VA gave no real reason for the decision, and Nikki T. Baker, department spokeswoman at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, declined a request to interview Director Ann Brown or another administrator.
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