What's New
Aug 1, 2007 - LinkVet goes live: your link to experts!
Apr 24 - Wounded Service Members and Their Families Now Eligible for a Free Week-long Retreat
Minneapolis VA Medical Center has started a new program called Utilization Management
This is a listing of medical assistance available to veterans, their families and employers. There is many sources outside normal sources to assist with items such as injuries, mental health and amputations.
American War Heros
Make a difference in the Lives of Our True American War Heroes! "Help Our Severely Injured Heroes Rebuild their Shattered Lives!" American War Heroes is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving and enhancing the quality of life for our injured War Heroes by providing them with emotional, financial and career support from our grateful USA citizens.
Armed Forces Services Corporation (AFSC)
Access to a team of qualified professionals, dedicated to providing you and your family personalized assistance. Additionally, we make sure that if something happens to you, your family receives their survivor benefits as soon as possible. We assist the surviving spouse in completing and submitting the paperwork for their government benefits and life insurance. As knowledgeable authorities on the latest developments in all your government benefits, we stand by your dependents for life, to ensure no benefits are overlooked.
Note: A membership fee exists for this organization
Blinded Veterans Association
If you are a blind or visually impaired veteran, if you are a relative or a friend or if you just want to get involved, write, email or give us a call. We are the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), an organization specifically established to promote the welfare of blinded veterans. We are here to help veterans and their families meet the challenges of blindness. Services include:
- Field Service Program - BVA Field Reps act as role models. They encourage fellow veterans to take charge of their lives. They link veterans with services, rehabilitation training and other benefits. When blinded veterans are ready to go back into the work force, BVA Field Reps can help them find jobs.
- Volunteer Service Program - Volunteers talk one on one with individual blinded veterans, or they listen and share ideas in groups. They provide information on programs and services, encouraging blinded veterans to enter blind rehabilitation programs. They demonstrate equipment and aids used by the blind. Volunteers are active in their communities and are good sources of information about local programs and services.
- Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program - BVA has offered spouses and dependent children of blinded veterans a chance to continue their education through the Kathern F. Gruber Scholarship Program.
Child Care Assistance for families of severely injured military families
NACCCRA and the Department of Defense (DOD) have partnered to provide families of severely injured military members with assistance to find and pay for safe, licensed child care services for a period of six months during their period of recuperation. (Extensions beyond the 6-month period will be considered based upon physician reassessment.) The program is available nationwide wherever the injured member is receiving either in-patient or out-patient medical care.
Coalition to Salute America's Heroes
The Coalition to Salute America's Heroes was created to provide a meaningful way for individuals, corporations and others to help our severely wounded and disabled Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans and their families rebuild their lives. Programs include:
- Emergency Aid – direct financial aid to soldiers and their families in crisis.
- Family Support Network – free, private housing available to family members of wounded soldiers who are recuperating at military and VA hospitals far from home.
- Career Network – Programs that assist wounded Vets (and their spouses) in transitioning from their career in the military to exploring options in the civilian workplace.
- Homes for Heroes – disability-adapted homes that are nearly cost-free for wheelchair-bound and blind veterans.
- Road to Recovery Conference – an all-expense paid educational and service event for wounded heroes and their families.
Fisher House™
The Fisher House™ program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House™ Foundation donates "comfort homes," built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury. Based on a comparison of fees at a Fisher House™ (the average charge is less than $10 per family per day, with many locations offering rooms at no cost) with commercial lodging facilities in the same area, it is estimated that families have saved more than $60 million by staying at a Fisher House™ since the program began.
www.fisherhouse.org/theHouses/minnesota.shtml - Minneapolis VA Medical Center house
Gold Star Wives of America
An organization of military widows/widowers whose spouse died while on active duty or from service connected disabilities. This military survivors organization has been serving war widows from all conflicts and service connected disabilities since it was founded in 1945.
Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund supports American military personnel who have been severely wounded in the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Fund is constructing a world class state-of-the-art advanced training skills center at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas to aid in their treatment and recovery.
Military Severely Injured Center
Prepare severely injured Service members to return to duty or to reintegrate successfully into their home towns. Ensure that all severely injured Service members and their families receive the necessary support. A grateful nation will honor our heroes' service and stand with them.
To provide personalized assistance, tailored to meet an individual's unique needs during recovery and rehabilitation, to include:
www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/portal/page/itc/MHF/MHF_HOME_1?section_id=20.40.500.393.0.0.0.0.0
- Medical care & rehabilitation
- Education, training and job placement
- Personal mobility and functioning
- Home, transportation and workplace accommodations
- Personal, couple and family issues counseling
- Financial resources
Military, Veteran and Family Assistance Foundation (MVFA)
Provides services and resources beyond the budgetary and mission capabilities of the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs and other National, State and Local veterans’ agencies. MVFA serves the military, veterans and families affected by war and acts of terrorism by providing funding, in-kind referrals and other resources towards the treatment of the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and economic needs of soldiers, veterans and their families through the use of integrative and alternative health care combined in a holistic, family-based approach. MVFA’s focus is to supplement medical care, services and resources that support and enhance health, wellness, and quality of life for military service members, veterans and their families.
NEWS: The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is now accepting applications for a free getaway vacation for wounded service members and their families. Working in partnership with The Blewitt Foundation, NMFA will select participants to embark on Destination R&R. Application deadline is May 4, 2007.
Minnesota Board on Aging
The Minnesota Board on Aging is the gateway to services for seniors and their families. MBA listens to senior concerns, researches for solutions, and proposes policy to address senior needs. In addition, MBA administer funds from the Older Americans Act that provide a spectrum of services to seniors, including Senior LinkAge Line™, Insurance Counseling and more.
MinnesotaHelp.info
Minnesotahelp.info has listings of 30,000 health and human services resources in Minnesota and is the state's most comprehensive online human services database. It also includes information about veterans services. The site includes services from government, for-profit and not for profit entities. The mission of the site is to ensure accurate and timely delivery of the most up-to-date information about resource to anyone who is doing a search for help whether consumer or professional. A secondary mission is to ensure that consumers can get access to private and public pay services so that they can make informed decision about their best options and direct their own lives.
Operation Family Fund
To assist the injured and families of the those who have been injured or killed as a part of the Global War on Terrorism, whether domestic or abroad, military or civilian, with financial grants for transitioning to their new circumstances and achieving financial self-sufficiency.
Operation First Response (OFR)
To assist the wounded military and their families with personal and financial needs who are serving our country during Operation Iraqi Freedom and forward. OFR sends backpacks (OFR backpacks) filled with a t-shirt, boxer shorts, sweat pants or shorts, socks, and a complete array of hygiene items (all hygiene items should be travel size) along with a handmade lap quilt in each OFR backpack. OFR backpacks are sent to the combat support hospitals (CHS) in Iraq, Landstuhl Army Medical Hospital in Germany, and other locations when contacted by military liaisons that are in need of our service. OFR asks for donated airline miles from the public to make it possible to provide family members and wounded heroes airline flights. OFR uses donations to pay for transportation for wounded heroes and their families to and from the airport (most times in the DC area).
Operation Homefront
A national nonprofit that provides emergency support and morale to our military troops, the families they leave behind during deployment and wounded warriors when they return home. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided critical assistance to more than 40,000 military families in need. Our goal is to expand assistance to an additional 15,000 families in 2006.
Operation Thankful Nation
Please join us in thanking the families of the brave men and women who gave their lives for our country through Operation Thankful Nation (O.T.N.). In their honor we would like to send a free keepsake package to the closest next of kin who has lost a loved one at no charge to them, made possible with your donations. Included in the package is a beautifully hand painted porcelain keepsake with stand along with a Comfort CD.
Our Hero Handbook
Our Hero Handbook is an excellent resource designed to help the family members of our wounded Soldiers. That very special population includes many family members who have little or no prior experience with the US military, and who need support and guidance as they directly help our wounded Soldiers. The handbook offers many ways to deal with the often long road to recovery of our Soldiers - from all services - who will need the loving and informed support of their families.
Our Hero Handbook (PDF) or from the Military HOMEFRONT website.
Sew Much Comfort
"Sew Much Comfort" is an organization whose mission is “to provide custom-made adaptive clothing to our injured service members free of charge, to aid in their recovery and to provide a tangible reminder of our gratitude for their sacrifice and give them an added measure of comfort and freedom as they recover from their injuries and return to everyday life."
Specially Adapted Housing Program
Veterans that have a specific service connected disabilities may be entitled to a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the purpose of constructing an adapted dwelling of modifying an existing to meet the veterans needs. The goal of the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH)Program is to provide a barrier-free living environment which affords the veterans a level of independent living he or she may not normally enjoy.
Part I, the Specially Adapted Housing Grant is available to disabled veterans who are entitled a wheelchair accessible home especially adapted for their needs. Part II, the Special Home Adaptations Grant is available to veterans who are entitled to adaptation because of blindness in both eyes with 5/200 visual acuity or less, or includes the anatomical loss of both hands.
Southeastern Guide Dogs' Paws for Patriots program
Southeastern Guide Dogs offers the Paws for Patriots™ Program for veterans who have been blinded during their service in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The program also offers therapy and companion dog placements to returning injured soldiers through Southeastern’s Gifted Canines® program.
To meet the growing demand for our services among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, we have joined forces with General Tommy Franks. General Franks is the spokesperson for the program, and is featured in both a radio and television public service announcement in support of the initiative. A Southeastern Guide Dog costs about $40,000, from birth through training, before being matched with its partner.
Since our founding in 1982, Southeastern Guide Dogs has been a proud supporter of American veterans. Over the past 23 years our expertise in training guide dogs to work with people who have multiple disabilities has led many disabled veterans to seek our services. There is no cost to our veterans for either a Southeastern guide dog or a Gifted Canines dog. The Paws for Patriots Program, like all of Southeastern Guide Dogs' programs, is funded exclusively through the generosity of private individuals, civic organizations, foundations and corporations.
United States Wounded Soldier Foundation
Provide clothes, hygiene items and other personal effects to US Soldiers wounded in Iraq. It's our way of saying, "Thank You" for their dedication and loyalty to the United States and the citizens they have pledged their lives to protect.
Vail Veterans Program
Since 2004 Vail Veterans Program has hosted military service men and women who have lost a limb (limbs) while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The amputee Veteran is invited to Vail and receives private instruction to learn to ski and snowboard with their new disability. The program focuses on their abilities not their disabilities and allows them to discover confidence in themselves. Family members and the staff of Walter Reed Army Medical Center are invited to attend which allows them to be a part of this life-changing experience for the Veteran. During the summer the Vail Veterans Program invites amputee Veterans to the Vail area to enjoy fly-fishing, rafting and other outdoor activities allowing them to enjoy a true mountain experience.
The Vail Veterans Program is a volunteer organization; every dollar of your contribution goes directly to the cost of hosting wounded Veterans and their families.
Veterans Airlift Command
Provides free air transportation to wounded warriors, veterans and their families for medical and other compassionate purposes through a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots.
Wounded Heros Foundation
Wounded Heroes Foundation Inc, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, was founded to provide needed support to the men and women of this great nation that sacrifice their lives for the good of their country.
Scores of men and women return home from battlefields with physical wounds that are treated by the valiant doctors of our armed forces. However, the medical treatment, while healing the broken bones and lost limbs, fails to treat the financial wounds inflicted upon our heroes.
Wounded Heroes Foundation provides care packages to our injured men and women of the armed forces. In addition, Wounded Heroes Foundation, through charitable contributions, provides financial and other assistance in situations where the military is not equipped or unable to assist.
Wounded Warrior Project
Dedicated to serving the needs of a new generation of veterans and ensuring that the United States government and the American public live by our motto, "Putting Veterans First in America." The WWP provides vital assistance to severely injured service members at the critical time between their hospital recovery and their transition to civilian life back home. Our work begins right at the hospital bedside of the severely injured as they undergo treatment and rehabilitation in Department of Defense facilities and continues through their rehabilitation.
US Veteran Affairs Medical Facilities
Listing of Minnesota area US VA medical facilities.
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