A little about this charity:
Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops and other technology for severely wounded service members. As of November 2008, Valour-IT has distributed over 2700 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country, and is now expanding its mission to include other technology that supports physical and psychological recovery.
Valour-IT accepts donations in any amount to support our mission, but also offers a sponsorship option for laptops. An individual or organization may sponsor a wounded soldier by completely funding the cost of a laptop and continuing to provide that soldier with personal support and encouragement throughout recovery. This has proved to be an excellent project for churches, groups of coworkers or friends, and members of community organizations such Boy Scouts.
Originally Valour-IT provided the voice-controlled software that accompanies the laptops, but now works closely with the Department of Defense Computer/electronic Accommodations Program (CAP): CAP supplies the adaptive software and Valour-IT provides the laptop. In addition, DoD caseworkers serve as Valour-IT’s “eyes and ears” at several medical centers, identifying patients in need of laptops and other technological support for their recovery. Wounded military personnel can also directly request a laptop through the sign-up form or through the Valour-IT/Soldiers’ Angels representatives at the following medical centers:
* Balboa Naval Hospital
* Brooke Army Medical Center
* Madigan Regional Medical Center
* National Naval Medical Center (Bethesda Naval Hospital)
* Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton
* Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital (29 Palms)
* Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Thanks to the efforts of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Valour-IT is also able to reach patients in VA hospitals who would benefit from a Valour-IT laptop or other technology to support their recovery and independence.
Help, if you can.
Mr. Poppinfresh
I’m curious- do the naval hospitals house Army and Marine overflow from their respective hospitals? I can’t imagine the Navy is taking anywhere near the caasualties their ground-pounder colleagues are…
Either way, in for $10.
Keith
Why laptops and not something more practical, like ribbon stickers or miniature US flags?
jakester
Jeez, I keep thinking that says Project Velour, which would be the charity fighting all those radical Muslin types.
libarbarian
Ok, you got me, but Im clicking on the embed but nothing is happening. I think something is wrong with it.
Lee
Speaking of military,
Has anyone got the data on how the military voted? I know it typically takes bit longer, just wondering if it was out yet.
thanks,
Stoic
Heh, at first I thought it was about getting velour sweatsuits to our injured troops. Then I realized they were using the british spelling of Valor. Curious.
Dennis - SGMM
Please don’t take this as a knock against Project Valour-IT. I’m just wondering why, when we’re spending more than half a trillion dollars for defense these wounded must look to a charity to get the gear that will materially aide their recovery. Here’s hoping that among its many other priorities, the Obama administration applies some critical attention and funding to this issue.
Dayv
If nothing else, this reminds me to donate money to people helping our civilian victims in Iraq and Afghanistan.
robertdsc
Done. Thanks, John.
Ash Can
@libarbarian: Make sure you’re clicking on the little white doo-hidgy on the right in the embed that says "make a donation." (I made this mistake myself at first.)
libarbarian
@Ash Can
Ahhhh. Thanks dude.
Done and Done.
libarbarian
Yeah, the embeded link still looks messed up so I still cant see the writing saying "make a donation" but when I clicked on this thin white edge of the embed it took me to the right place
Thanks again.
Cris v.3.1
I hear you. I had similar feelings right after Katrina, when we were all proudly donating to the Red Cross. While the Red Cross clearly deserves the support, and was the organization best suited to handle the response, I found myself wondering, why does this have to fall to a private organization?
scarshapedstar
Selling valorite archer suits 12k!
Calming Influence
@Dayv: Also a very good idea – if you know of any organizations that are specifically doing that, could you post a link?
Members of our military don’t choose where they’re sent, or what fresh hell they’ll wake up to every day. The permanently disabled nineteen year old who’s life is shattered by a roadside bomb is no more responsible for all the civilian deaths in Afghanistan or Iraq than you or I; don’t mistake him for the president and politicians that sent him to war in the first place.
Tsulagi
@Stoic:
Understandable guess, but not really. “Valour-IT” stands for Voice Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops.
@Dennis – SGMM:
Likely because these laptops aren’t actually required or necessary for a medical recovery. Even good private medical plans likely wouldn’t cover a personal laptop with voice recognition software or hardware adaptation if you were in a car accident losing an arm or two, paralyzed, or brain injured.
Some might consider it a luxury. But it wouldn’t hurt if these guys/women could spend some of their time while recovering, or later adapting, online, writing and sending email, etc.
It’s a good cause and has made a difference for some.