Our main reason for forming this foundation is to give back to our brave Veterans.  Our Recipient Committee members meet, review, and discuss recommendations. We look to God to guide us in this process.

The definition of Veteran, as defined by the government, is complicated, full of red tape, and is quite
the bureaucracy. Many Veterans fall through the cracks and qualify for little or no benefits at all. That
is where OAG comes in. Working with Wisconsin Veterans Network, we find out what is needed for a
Veteran and we follow through with helping in any way we can.

Army Veteran Kurtis served 4 years, mostly overseas, and says “It wasn’t a picnic”. It set him back, to say the least, and recently he has received the proper help he needed. “For some reason I fought getting help. I knew where to go but I thought I could do it alone”. We certainly are happy he saw the errors of his ways and got help.  

We asked what he needed to help him get back on his feet (groceries, help with his rent or security deposit, clothing, energy assistance, etc) and all he said was “I hate to even ask but could you fill up my gas tank in my car so I can get to work? We said sure but is there anything else we could do? He said no, I really am having trouble paying for gas in my car. So, we took care of at least 3 months of gas for him with a gas gift card. He wasn’t expecting that (“I was hoping you could help me out with one fill up”) and was beyond grateful.  

We certainly wish Veteran Kurtis all the best and we thank him for his service and sacrifice. Thanks to all of you for continuing to donate to OAG so we can do the smaller things that mean so much to our Veterans.

 

Army Veteran Benjamin served 1 ½ years in the Gulf War and 1 ½ years stateside. He struggled through it and since then, life has not been a breeze. Currently he is on a fixed SS disability income and has subsidized rent through the VA. He had a financial emergency a few months ago that set him back quite a lot of money and for the most part, cleaned him out financially. The goal is to keep him from losing his place of residence so OAG helped him out with a few months rent to get him started on the right track. We topped it off with a gift card to Pick & Save so groceries won’t be problem for a while. We certainly wish Veteran Benjamin all the best and we thank him for his service and sacrifice. Thank you OAG members for all your help year after year.

 

Veteran Eli served in Vietnam with the US Army for 3 years. He has epilepsy and it flared up in early August putting him in the hospital for 2 weeks. This put him behind in his bills. He paid the little ones, but he needs help with his September rent. OAG took care of that for him, making his life a little less worrisome. Thanks to all of you for continuing to donate to OAG.

 

Veteran Tony received a disconnect notice for his electricity. Long story short, there was a huge mess up in paperwork with We Energies. Tony served in the Army for 6 years and was honorably discharged. He was unemployed for a few months and has recently found a good job and went back to work. He just needed a hand up to keep his service on so life could go on. So, thanks to all of you for continuing to donate to OAG so we can do the smaller things that mean so much to our Veterans.

 

I received a phone call this morning from VetsNet in West Allis. They were helping a young 27 year old female Veteran, Sandra, who recently got out of the Navy. They found her a job and she found an apartment, so will be able to move out of her parent’s home and get back on her own feet. She just needed help with the security deposit. We were glad to help, and VetsNet said that OAG is very much appreciated by everyone there. So, congratulations everyone! We put another smile on a Veterans face! Thank you for your donations to make this all happen time and time again.

 

As you know, we work closely with VetsNet in West Allis who forwards Veterans to our charity who are in need of assistance. They vet the Veteran so all is on the up and up and we help where we can.

In the past we have also donated to VetsNet to help with their emergency fund to help Veterans that walk in with immediate basic needs while VetsNet works on getting them employment and housing. Things like toiletries, food, transportation (bus or cab) and other basic needs. Yesterday, we donated again as they sent us a plea for help. 2022 has seen an uptick in the number of Veterans and families with critical needs exacerbated by the economy. OAG is proud to help out VetsNet with their needs in order to help our Veterans.

 

I was not given a lot of information on Veteran Trey. Probably because he was a Navy Seal. He conducted some special operations and missions which left him with PTSD. Homeless for months, he now has found help and his future looks brighter every day. He has secured a decent job with a county in Wisconsin and needs help with a security deposit and 1^st month’s rent. Done. We at OAG are happy to help get him back on his feet. We wish Veteran Trey all the best.

 

Every year we like to give to Missouri’s National Veterans Memorial located in Perryville, MO. It is an exact replica of the Vietnam Wall in D.C. only there is much, much more to see at MNVM. Their Military Museum is now open, honoring our American Veterans. It is so well done. There are many monuments representing the United States Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Their mission is to preserve military history, honor all who served, educate Americans about the cost of our freedom and provide a place for healing and reflection. Of the 58,276 names on the Vietnam Wall, there are 1,159 names of Wisconsin men who gave their lives in Vietnam. It is all so breathtaking. And on their Corporate Donor list, displayed in the Welcome Center, is our foundations name, the One Act of Giving Foundation. That represents you, and I thank you for being a member of this dedicated foundation. Please, take a weekend off and visit this beautiful place in America’s heartland.

 

Well, this is just gut wrenching. Veteran Ethan spent 4 years in the US Navy. He is 60 years old, currently homeless, suffering from depression, memory loss and has stage 4 cancer. The VA is working to get him into Soldiers Home, but nothing will open up for him until the first week in May. They have him staying at a LaQuinta Inn at the tax-exempt Veteran rate, but VA funding will run out next week. So, OAG and a few other charities have stepped in to keep him at the hotel until he can be transferred to Soldiers Home in early May. Thank you, Ethan, for your service to our country. You are not fighting this battle alone. May God bless you.

 

Andrew spent 4 years in the U.S. Army stateside. He had many interesting jobs but what he thought was most interesting was his duty of Parachute Rigger, stationed in Fort Benning, GA. This is where training for “Jump School” takes place. His duties included inspecting and testing extraction and release systems, and packing parachutes for his Army buddies. Operated by the 1^st Battalion Airborne, these soldiers put their faith in Andrew to make sure they can jump again. I would think this would be just a little nerve racking but Andrew loved it. Maybe because everyone loved Andrew, and for good reason. He never lost a parachutist. So much goes on behind the scenes and Andrew was a big part of that.

Recently, Andrew had some medical issues involving COVID. It was touch and go for a while. He spent 33 days in the hospital and it has been slow going getting back to normal. Obviously going to work hasn’t happened for some time now. His job is waiting for him, and he’ll be back to that soon, but he is behind in many of his bills. That’s where OAG stepped in. We’ve made a pretty good dent in those bills and a few other charities will help with the rest. Thank you OAG members for helping out Veteran Andrew and thank you Andrew for your service to our country.

 

Veteran Laura served 7 years in the Army and did 3 combat assignments that totaled 34 months together. At one point she served with the Female Engagement Team in Afghanistan. Their job was to engage female populations which was impossible by male service men. They would build relationships, gather intelligence, and help with humanitarian efforts. Things could have gone bad for her at anytime but thankfully, she is home and safe. A few months ago her back decided to go south on her and she couldn’t work. She fell behind 2 months in rent. OAG and 2 other charities contributed to taking care of this expense. She is fine now, back to work and will be good financially going forward. We wish her all the best and we thank you Laura for your service to our country.

 

Veteran George, of Kenosha county, and Veteran Peter, of Oneida County, needed help funding their wheel chair lifts. We helped give them a great start and we hope they have their lifts soon. It is just amazing what these lifts can do for the spirit of our brave Veterans. The freedom they get knowing they can leave the house with ease, by themselves if they want, without the fear of falling, is just a God send for them. OAG is so honored to be able to give these men a choice. "Do I want to get out in the wind today?" It's a big deal!! Thank you for your service gentlemen!