On any given night across America, 250,000 military veterans are homeless and at the mercy of Mother Nature. They have the clothes on their back and the few personal belongings they can push, carry or drag with them from day to day. We have all seen them pushing their shopping carts full of tattered and dirty looking blankets, clothes and personal belongings. We see them on street corners and freeway off ramps asking for donations. And their homemade cardboard signs all pretty much read the same, "Homeless Veteran. Need help. God Bless."

For veterans and  those who can read between the lines, what those signs really say is, " I am an American veteran. I was there to defend my country's freedom wherever I was asked to go. Now I am old, ill, disabled and penniless. I have neither food nor shelter. I have fallen through the cracks in the system that was supposed to be there to help me. I am now left to fend for myself anyway that I can. Here I am! Please help me." 

Old Guard Riders Inc., at both the National and Chapter level, maintains an ongoing Disadvantaged Veteran Relief Effort. That relief effort is multi-fold, including food banks and food distribution, individual emergency food supplies, essential clothing and survival goods distribution, handicapped needs distribution as well as homeless shelter support programs.

Our food distribution efforts are supported by purchasing food from food banks, as funds are available, as well as food donated by stores and restaurants.

Our essential clothing and survival goods program is supported by clothing drives, store donations and purchasing otherwise unavailable essentials through donated funds. Distributed goods include:

• Watch caps

• Sleeping bags

• Warm coats and jackets

• Decent clothing (male & female)

• Boots, shoes and socks

• Hygiene supplies

• Non-perishable food (camp style packets)

• Other items specific to certain geographical areas and climates

Our handicapped and homebound veterans' assistance program provides needed articles and supplies for permanent placement or temporary loan to handicapped veterans. This program is again supported by drives and donations. It includes:

• Wheelchairs

•  Walkers

• Motorized chairs and lifts

• Bathroom items

• Ramps

• Other handicapped items as available

Our outreach efforts includes partnering with other charity organizations with adequate facilities to provide hot meals to serve veterans in need during the holiday season.

We also actively support shelters and other facilities that serve disabled, disadvantaged and homeless veterans.

Financial donations are desperately needed to support and expand these critically needed programs.

We can make a difference

All Chapters of Old Guard Riders Inc. are autonomous units of the organization and sponsors their own programs tailored to needs of their geographic location. For information about specific services sponsored within your area, see chapter listings.

Not every individual soliciting money as a homeless veteran is an actual veteran. With the recent focus on veterans and veterans issues, scammers are working hard to take advantage of this opportunity. 

Disadvantaged Veterans Relief Effort

Who Are Homeless Veterans

Understanding the Veteran Homelessness Issue

Homeless Veteran  Articles & Studies

Who is a Vet? Poem

Master Table of Contents

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