Good Start to a Challenging Year

Spring has arrived in the desert with warmer days (at last) and desert flowers. As described in our New Year’s letter, 2019 promises to be a challenging year as we complete our transition to an all new furniture model and focus our efforts on the neediest, most deserving, and most vulnerable veterans. 

Tax Time

​With the Spring comes income tax time. If you donated financially to the Veterans Furniture between January 1, 2018 and now, you can subtract up to $800 per couple or $400 per individual from what you owe the state of Arizona. This is a tax credit, not a deduction. You don’t have to itemize to claim the credit.  Just calculate your taxes and apply what you donated to the VFC as a tax credit. If you need a tax receipt, just email us at VFCDonations@gmail.com. We have complete records and will issue you a tax receipt. If you find you owe more than you donated, donations made up until April 15th are eligible for tax credits on your 2018 tax return.

Goals for 2019

A lot has happened in the first few months of the year, and we have a lot of good news to share with you, but first here is the list of our goals for 2019 that was first discussed in our last newsletter.
  • Assist all the veterans referred to us by our partner agencies We will continue to deliver every week, maintaining our unbroken track record of helping those in need.
  • Deliver an average of 95% new furniture and household goods with 100% by year-end.
  • Obtain a new truck. Our current truck has over 350,000 miles on it and breaks down frequently. We have been able to borrow the VA truck to help offset this, but this is not guaranteed to continue, and we need a new truck that belongs to the VFC. We have one grant request pending for this purpose. We have our fingers crossed!
  • Increase funds raised by 2.5X over 2018. This is essential if we are to meet the objectives above.
  • Increase individual donor base by 5X over 2018. Strong support from many individuals is our best path to a sustainable operation.
  • Increase average individual donation by 2X with the tax credit offer.
  • Obtain four corporate grants with an average of $25,000 (Two requests currently outstanding).
  • ncrease the number of fund-raising events from two to five, raising $40,000.

Some Great News

​The report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), published in November of 2018, brought some great news. Our battle to end veteran homelessness is working. The number of veterans suffering from homelessness dropped by 5.35% nationwide since the previous year’s report. More exciting is that we reduced it 7.9% in Arizona, beating the national average by almost 50%. The efforts by the VA, the VFC, and out social service partners are working.
We still have a long way to go. According to HUD estimates, there are still 37,878 veterans suffering from homelessness in the United States. That’s a 48% drop since 2009, however it is still an unacceptably high number and disgrace to our great country. HUD estimates that there were 893 homeless veterans in Arizona as of January 2018. A video describing the details of this report can be found on our website at https://www.veteransfurniturecenter.org/. Also available from our website is the HUD 2018 Homeless Assessment Report and HUD spreadsheet showing state by state estimates.

​The bottom line is we know that thanks to your support, our efforts in partnership with the VA and are partners are working. We are about halfway there from the 2009 numbers. We are focusing our efforts and improving our methods to end veteran homelessness. Your support is needed and much appreciated.

Arizona Department of Veteran Services Supports the VFC

​The VFC Board of Directors is pleased to announce that we have received a grant from the Arizona Department of Veteran Services for our Support a Veteran Program. 100% of these funds will be used to purchase furniture and household items our veterans need to start a new life as they recover from homelessness. These funds come form the Arizona Veterans’ Donation Fund, which includes fees from veteran license plates and driver’s licenses, and donations from groups and individuals. This is the second year in a row the ADVS has supported the Veterans Furniture Center. It is a good start to the new year, but we have a long way to go.

Living Spaces Delivers for Veterans

Living Spaces has been and continues to be a strong supporter of the Veterans Furniture Center and our formerly homeless veterans. Thanks to them, hundreds of veterans who were sleeping on the floor now have a brand-new bed.
We look forward to a long and positive relationship with Living Spaces as we continue our fight against homelessness.

APL Logistics Partners with the VFC

​Officially incorporated in 1977, APL Logistics is a US$1.6 billion global supply chain services provider. APL Logistics designs and operates smart globally integrated supply chains. Operating in more than 110 locations in 60 countries, APL manages 200 logistics facilities covering over 20 million square feet globally. They have 6,800 logistics professionals across the world with local market knowledge.
APL has partnered with the Veterans Furniture Center to help us improve our warehouse operations and accounting. They have already designed and provided us with special software to track inventory and deliveries, free of charge. APL was seeking a veterans’ charitable organization that the company and their employees could support in the Phoenix area. They have selected the VFC, and we are grateful for their help and their commitment to veterans. 

A New Dock Ramp

Metro Tech High School is a school of choice that provides a four-year college preparatory curriculum along with a two-year career and educational program to all students. Students explore their academic and career interests and abilities in a learning environment that exemplifies rigor, relevance, and relationships. The faculty and staff are committed to the district mission of preparing every student for success in college, career, and life.
​The students at Metro Technical High School were looking for a way to help our needy veterans. They approached the VFC and we discussed several possible projects. By mutual agreement we decided on a new ramp for our loading dock. The dock ramp has now been installed. It flips over, from the warehouse floor, and creates a ramp into the truck. It is far superior to the old, heavy wooden ramp we were using. It was designed and installed by a group of students led by student leader Luis Fernando Cano Vasquez and supervised by their teacher Stephanie Besch. All funds for the project were supplied to the school by ASU. The Board and the volunteers of the VFC are grateful to the students for this much needed enhancement to the warehouse. It will serve the VFC well for many years to come.

New Year, Recommit, Refocus

​We are fully committed to our mission of helping the neediest veterans recover from homelessness by providing them with the furniture and household goods they need to start a new life. 
Our commitment to the community, to the VA, and to our donors, is that we will help those who need our help the most, those who have nothing, and who, without our help, would be living alone in an empty apartment, sleeping on the floor, with no way to cook a meal or even make a cup of coffee. Left like this they are likely to fall into despair and return to the street. We are making a difference for these veterans, and we are determined to focus all our efforts and energy on them. We are working closely with the VA to bring this focus to our mission. Look for more information on this very soon.

Jason Bressler joins the VFC Board of Directors

We are very pleased to announce that Jason Bressler, a very well known and respected business and charitable organization leader in Phoenix, has joined our Board of Directors.
Jason is a Founder and the Executive Director of the Phoenix Metro Chamber of Commerce, a Founder and a Charter Member of the Phoenix Metro Chamber Foundation, and the Director of Community Outreach for Let It Roll Bowl & Entertainment. He is a graduate of Arizona State University with an MBA and a BS Degrees in Communication, and a graduate of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona.  
​Jason is a Charter Member of the Downtown Scottsdale Young Professionals Kiwanis Club, a Charter Member of the Scottsdale Airpark Rotary Club and an Advisory Committee Member for Harvest Compassion Center & Mitchell Swaback Charities. He is an active Supporter and Volunteer for several non-profit organizations.
Each day, Jason's goal is to make a positive impact in the lives of others and our community.  Jason is grateful for who and what he has in his life.  ​

Challanges Ahead

​These are exciting, but very challenging times. We are fully committed to our mission We are an all-volunteer organization operating with minimal overhead. We are making a difference in the lives of these deserving men and women, but we can’t do it alone, we need your help. Our new business model of using only new items selected to exactly fit their needs costs money. While we can provide everything the veteran needs for under $1,000, when you multiply that by the hundreds of veterans we help every year, it adds up. We will need your help if we are to succeed with this mission.

You Can Make a Difference

​The Board members and all the volunteers at the VFC are working hard in our battle to end veteran homelessness. We are making a difference.  We see it every time we deliver to a veteran who has been living in an empty apartment and sleeping on the floor. His or her eyes light up. Suddenly they have a brand new bed to sleep on, a chair to sit in, pots and pans to cook with, a coffee maker so they can make coffee at home, and much more. Their new apartment has become a home There is hope for a better future.
The case workers as well as the HUD numbers tell us our methods are working, but there is much more to do. We still have too many men and women who have put their lives on the line for our great country, on the streets of America. We at the VFC are refocusing our efforts to make sure the neediest of our ​transition veterans have what they need to start a new life and stay off the street. It is not just furniture we give them, it is a new sense of worth, hope for a better future, and a renewed determination to succeed in life. We can’t do this alone. We need your help. Here are some things you can do. 
Become a Friend of the VFC
For as little as $10 a month you can make a difference. Simply click on the Join Us button on our website, VeteransFurnitureCenter.org, and select a level. We will charge your credit card each month for that amount and send you a tax receipt at the end of the year showing the total amount donated. For Arizona taxpayers, all donations are eligible for a tax credit of up to $800 per couple. If you join, you will be able to get up to $800 of that back from the State of Arizona as a tax credit next Spring, and a needy veteran would get the furniture and household goods they need. Why not sign up today?

Support a Veteran
Thanks to the generosity of Living Spaces in providing all new beds for our veterans, we can provide a complete kit of furniture and household goods for well under $1,000. 100% of your donation to this program will go toward purchasing the items the veterans need. You can use your credit card on our website, https://www.veteransfurniturecenter.org or print out the form and send a check to the address provided.

Attend Our Events
We sponsored several fund-raising events last year and will do more this year. The first one is coming up at the Cross Eyed Cricket on April 27th, and the silent auction for this event is already underway at the Cricket (see next page). Watch our website https://www.veteransfurniturecenter.org/ and our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/VFC2319/ for announcements.

Group Donations
We enjoy the support of many groups such as Legion Posts, Elks Clubs, Church Groups and others who want to help fight veteran homelessness. If we are to meet our 2019 goals as described earlier in this newsletter, we will need many more. If you belong to a group that makes charitable donations, tell them about the work we are doing and encourage them to consider the VFC for a charitable donation. If they have any questions tell them to contact us at VFCDonations@gmail.com.
CorporationsIf you work for or are a retiree of a corporation that offers grants for community support, please let us know. Your endorsement could make the difference in them providing support to the VFC.

Spread the Word
Tell your friends and family that you support our efforts to end veteran homelessness. Share this newsletter with them and tell them to visit our website and watch our videos. Follow us on Facebook and like and share our Facebook posts.

Thank you
The Board, all our volunteers, and veterans we serve greatly appreciate your help. Your support is so important to us. Without you we cannot complete our mission.

Honoring Veterans Helping Veterans – April 27, 2019

Saturday, April 27th, 2019
Event hours will be noon to 5 PM! Open to all!!

Raffle

  • Drawing at 5 pm on April 27th, winners need not be present!
  • At least 5 major prize packages each valued over $250
  • Raffle tickets available now at the Cricket & VFC members
  • Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20

Live entertainment with Uncle Click

Uncle Click, named by Gigmasters as the “Top Classic Rock/Country Rock Band” in Phoenix. This prodigious group of seasoned professionals have been rocking the southwest for over 10 years with familiar, upbeat cover tunes spanning several genres. 

Silent Auction

The Silent Auction is already underway at the Cross Eyed Cricket. Stop by and make a bid on an item. The auction of the week is closed each week on Thursday. New items will be displayed for auction for the next week. With new items every week, stop by often and enter your bids.
Here’s your chance to support the VFC and have a great time doing it. Stop by on the 27th, meet our Board Members and Volunteers, enjoy a good food and drinks along with great music on the patio. Please join us. Admission is free.