(KANSAS CITY) – On September 12, National Guard Lieutenant Chris Justice of Mount Horeb, Wis., was part of a convoy carrying laboratory specimens to a hospital in Baghdad. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive near the convoy. ''Blood was running off my arm and it was a horrible haze, everything was like in slow motion,'' said Justice. Justice survived, but required extensive skin grafts to one of his arms and continues to receive treatment for his injuries.
At the family's expense, Justice's wife and two young children made an extended stay to Washington, D.C., to be at his bedside at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. ''When you plan to go on vacation, you save for that vacation. However, there was no saving for this incident. But there was never a question that my family would come to Walter Reed. I figured I have the rest of my life to make up this financial burden. How I was going to do it, I had no idea.''
Justice applied for help from the Unmet Needs Program, a charitable initiative administered by the VFW Foundation – the giving arm of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). The mission of the Unmet Needs Program is to provide help for families of deployed or returning soldiers with expenses associated with the soldier's absence or condition, when other financial assistance is not available. Justice was resigned to having his application for assistance denied. ''When I was at Walter Reed, I saw a lot of people who were injured a lot worse than I was. And they had been there a lot longer than I was. And part of me felt like, they're more deserving.''
Unmet Needs' Wisconsin coordinator, Vietnam War veteran Dave Behrend, said he screened Justice's application, as he had with many applications from Wisconsin soldiers and their families. ''I've come across every imaginable problem that a family could be left with while their soldier is in uniform,'' said Behrend. ''Mortgages, financing, money flow, legal responsibilities, medications and more.''
Behrend forwarded Justice's application to a national board of review. The Wisconsin soldier was approved for $2500 of help. Behrend delivered the check personally to Justice at Madison's National Guard Armory, as is his practice. ''I meet our soldiers one on one. I deliver the check to them so it doesn't come to them like they're just another person. They are someone special to us.''
''It's more than I ever expected to get,'' said Justice. ''It's a fabulous Christmas present. It's going to take some of the financial burden from the debt that we accrued from this deployment. It's going to help a lot.''
The Unmet Needs Program, launched in June 2004, helps military families meet unexpected financial challenges that are further complicated by a family member's deployment. Since its beginning last year, more than 200 families have received grants that have helped to defray the costs of unexpected home or auto repairs, mortgage payments, child care and medical expenses and/or deductibles, groceries and more.
The Unmet Needs Program was established by the VFW Foundation last summer, with a five-year, $1.25 million contribution from Vermont American Power Tool Accessories. In addition, advertising and promotional support will be aided by Vermont American’s radio and print ad plans as well as product distribution across the country.
Individuals can participate in a number of ways, including:
· Purchasing Vermont American products, as a portion of each product purchased goes to support the program
· Visit unmetneeds.com and donate online, as 100% of your donation goes directly to our military families (a small portion of the Vermont American donation takes care of all administrative costs)
· Visit unmetneeds.com and donate your skill
· Mail donations to the Unmet Needs Program, VFW Foundation, 406 West 34th Street, Room 514, Kansas City, MO, 64111
Families in need can visit www.unmetneeds.com or call 1-866-789-NEED (1-866-789-6333) to request assistance.