Author Topic: Comfort for America's Uniformed Services Elite (Read 819 times)

Toad · « **on:** April 30, 2004, 08:14:04 PM »

C.A.U.S.E.

Gentlemen:

Quote

Cause is a nonprofit organization providing comfort items for troops recuperating in military hospitals and rehabilitation centers from wounds and injuries suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan and in other military theaters.

I am currently in DC and have met the lady that is the driving force behind this organization. For this effort and for many other charitable organizations and efforts she supports, I respect and admire her very, very greatly. Her husband was my brother's roommate at the High School on the Hudson, so both of these people are well known by my family. They have a long history of going "above and beyond" for worthy causes.

There is true need for almost everything imaginable. If you have a business or can influence the company you work for to contribute, please check with CAUSE to see what you can do. If those conditions don't apply, you can simply donate.

I'll give you one example of what they face: An army specialist survived an explosion due to the Interceptor vest. However, while he lived, he lost both arms and legs and is now blind. This man has a wife and kids. He's going to need a special vehicle with a hoist arrangement to get around to doctors after discharge. The wife is a truly strong person. She's holding up well but clearly, this family is going to need a very lot of help, starting with a new hoist equipped van. CAUSE intends to make that happen.

Now, the intended audience is my fellow Americans and no one needs answer this post. The website is available to all, of course. If you choose to act, do so. Please let's not use this thread as yet another political bashfest over the war.

"For or against" should not concern anyone here. These guys were simply doing their duty, as ordered. Let's put aside the politics for once.

Thanks!

stratman · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2004, 08:19:13 PM »

Thx for the Link.
Is on my list of things to do .
At the top of my list!

Toad · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2004, 09:18:32 PM »

one of two punts

Nash · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2004, 09:48:42 PM »

I'm a bit hurtin' financially... but I'm good for a punt or two.

straffo · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2004, 03:25:14 AM »

I'll add a question Toad, why is there the need of such a charity ?

I mean it's more a problem of solidarity of the nation to it's soldier ?

beet1e · « **Reply #5 on:** May 04, 2004, 06:57:23 AM »

How are things going in DC? - tried to email you, but email got bounced.

orangebeet1e@yahoo.co.uk

Nash · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2004, 04:33:23 PM »

punt.

midnight Target · « **Reply #7 on:** May 05, 2004, 05:13:24 PM »

Punterino

I did my little part on the flight home last Saturday. Bought a round for the 3 Marines in my row. They are doing urban warfare training at the abandoned base housing about a mile from my workplace.

ravells · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2004, 05:32:04 PM »

$50 bucks to them as of just right now.

Good place to send the money for the old wargames I sold on ebay. Now if we could just get something going like this for the Ghurkas.

Ravs

Toad · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2004, 08:55:08 AM »

Thank you, Ravs. Much appreciated.

Straffo,

At this time CAUSE is focused on Walter Reed and Bethesda military hospitals. The most seriously injured soldiers go to these two places, the Army to Reed and the Marines to Bethesda. These troops have the missing limbs, head wounds, etc.

While the medical facilities are first rate, like most military operations, there is not much in the way of non-mission oriented equipment or "extras".

For example, a seriously wounded 19 year old, making low "Specialist" pay, doesn't have access to inexpensive telephone service. Usually, just a pay phone or calling collect from room phones. So, CAUSE solicited money for "phone cards" that allow these kids to call their sweethearts or their families without spending a fortune.

Also, they've found that some games actually help these guys recover. Right now they are looking for pinball machines. Standing at the machines and repetitively using the brain to instruct the fingers seems to improve balance and helps regenerate some of the nerve impulses in the "head wound" cases. The military does not equip the wards with such games. CAUSE steps up and gets the job done.

The same sort of thing seems to happen with Playstation and X-Box, with the additional bonus of helping these guys pass their boring recovery time.

CAUSE is helping fill the "non-standard" needs that the military never would think about.

Thanks to all.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2004, 08:59:43 AM »

The wife (Financial officer) is delegating $100 of this months budget to C.A.U.S.E.

Thanks for sharing the link, Toad.

straffo · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2004, 09:16:48 AM »

Ty Toad I understand better the role of the CAUSE.

I thought CAUSE was more acting on the medical part than in the environement that's why I was surprised.

Toad · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2004, 11:05:29 AM »

Thanks again to all.

Once again, this is a tax deductible non-profit, so save evidence that you contributed. Might as well use money that would have went to taxes for something truly worthwhile.

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Cause is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in Virginia: all contributions to Cause are tax deductible

Straffo,

I suppose, in time, a lot of these needs and items will be supplied through the military itself. However, all that has to go through a budget/spending approval process.

As one nurse commented to Joyce, "We formally request this stuff all the time and then we wait and wait and wait. We just mention it to you and the next day you show up carrying it in hand."

CAUSE is made up of doers. That's what I like about them. It's all volunteer and their "overhead costs" basically are non-existent. In short, if you give a $1, you can figure a $1 went to the troopers.

beet1e · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2004, 01:40:45 PM »

Mr. Toad,

A laudable CAUSE indeed.

I may make a donation of my own, but first I feel I should see if their is an equivalent organisation representing the interests of British servicemen injured in Iraq.

I do believe you were a Viet Nam vet? How did you feel about government treatment of the returning servicemen, particularly those who were seriously injured in that conflict? I just wonder because I saw "Born on the 4th of July" last night, and was pretty appalled. I had seen that movie once before - at the cinema in 1989. For some reason, it had even more impact this time. Injured vets being shoved into dirty hospitals, substandard and broken down medical equipment, nurses who didn't give a fig...

Maybe things have changed for the better. I hope so. I'd like to think that our governments give disabled veterans the care they need upon their return.

But there seems to be a strange anomaly here. On one hand, the US government couldn't wait to wage war in Iraq and went waving its wallet to the tune of $180bn to fight the war. (That's the figure I heard the Democrats quote - New Hampshire primary?) But then when it's over, the interests of the servicemen injured/disabled in the conflict rely on voluntary contributions like this, in some cases ^ from overseas donations. I think that's wrong. If the government has the wherewithal to send guys into conflict, it should also provide for their needs when they return disabled, and not abandon their fate to voluntary donations.

Nilsen · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2004, 02:31:57 PM »

Good cause, but i would prefer to send a postcard to a random patient if that was possible.