Approximately 1,000 Military and Families Members to Return Home for the Holidays- Please Donate to Serve Waitlist Families Today
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Brittany Catton, ASYMCA
(703) 455-3986, ext. 112
JACK DANIEL’S “OPERATION RIDE HOME” WITH THE ARMED SERVICES YMCA: HELPING
REUNITE SERVICE MEMBERS AND FAMILIES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
One Thousand Troops and Family Members Able to Return Home for the Holidays- Waitlist Families Still Need Assistance
ASYMCA Headquarters, VA- (December 10th 2012) – For the second year in a row, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery has donated more than $100,000 to help service members and their families travel from bases to homes across the U.S. through “Operation Ride Home” this holiday season.
Through Operation Ride Home, identified junior enlisted (E-4 and below) single service members, military families, and families of deployed who might not otherwise have the funds or opportunity to travel home, will be eligible to receive vouchers and financial assistance for travel by air or vehicle, depending on the distance of their family homes from their current base or installation.
As of December 6th, Jack Daniels and the Armed Services YMCA has expended $200K sending approximately one thousand service members and family members home this holiday season. But there is still a need, ASYMCA spokesperson Brittany Catton, “We still have about $25k to $50k to go to serve our waitlist and meet the need of our young enlisted service members. Please adopt a troop and donate today to make Christmas brighter for those that are often separated from their families.”
A sample waitlist family from the Texas area includes an Army Specialist with a wife and 4 children. They would love to be able to fly to Michigan, having not been home due to deployments and cost since 2008. His family has not seen his two younger children, nor have they met his new sister-in-law. He also sustained injuries and is awaiting medical evaluation.
By making a tax-deductible donation today at www.asymca.org today, you will help adopt a troop and their family for the holidays. Please help make them make the trip and give them the gift of family this holiday season. To donate to this worthwhile program, please specify this donation is for “TRAVEL”In the comment section, and we will make sure 100% of your donation goes to help a military family travel home .
Increasing the national effort, Jack Daniel’s also announced its partnership with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) of the USA – a top-rated military charity (rated in the top 2% by Charity Navigator 2012) that makes military life easier for junior enlisted military families nationwide. The Armed Services YMCA will partner actively with military commands and committed volunteers to identify those service members and families in most need of financial assistance and to assist them with travel.
“There is nothing like being home for the holidays, and we hope that Operation Ride Home this year will generate an outpouring of support to help those junior enlisted soldiers and their families make it to see their loved ones,” said Jennifer Powell, Senior Brand Manager for Jack Daniel’s. “We saw the success of the campaign last year and particularly how it provided a mechanism for folks to give just a bit, that when added up with other contributions, made a tremendous difference in these families’ lives. We want to do even more this year.”
“The Armed Services YMCA is proud to partner with the Jack Daniel’s Distillery for their second annual Operation Ride Home campaign to reunite deserving military with their families for the holidays,” said Capt. Mike Landers USN (Ret), CEO of the ASYMCA. “Last year, in partnership with the Fort Campbell ASYMCA, 721 Soldiers and family members were given the opportunity to travel home and be with family for Christmas. Thanks to the generosity of Jack Daniel’s and their friends, we will be able to make military life easier for even more military families this coming holiday season.”
With your kind assistance we will be able to increase those able to travel home for the holidays. Thank you for helping to make military life easier for military and their families. Click here to see a report of our impact as of 12/5/12.
About the Armed Services YMCA
The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) provides no and low-cost programs to make military life easier for nearly 500,000 active-duty enlisted military and their families each year at 33 branches and affiliates nationwide. Innovative, direct services are tailored to the needs of local military installations nationwide with the help of 18,000 volunteers in addition to community and military support. The Armed Services YMCA was rated in the top 2% of charities nationwide by Charity Navigator in 2012. The ASYMCA does not receive government funding, and does not charge dues or membership fees for their programs. Your tax deductible donation (Tax ID #36-3274346) to the ASYMCA, a top-rated non-profit, will make a significant difference in the lives of young military service members and their families.
A Military Family Gets Cooking with WUSA’S Andrea Roane and Whole Foods to Support the ASYMCA
Master Sargent (MSgt) Anthony Davis who is stationed with the US Air Force at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. MSgt Davis has been in the Air Force for 19 years and 5 duty stations. His wife Angelique runs the YMCA DoD Initiative program at the Armed Services YMCA that provides free YMCA memberships for eligible military and their families. The Davis family consists of Isabelle, 9 yrs. old, Ian, 14 yrs. old, Quendaline (Quen), 18 yrs. old, and a frequent ASYMCA volunteer. They are another great ASYMCA military family who volunteered at ” O dark thirty” to bring awareness to the Whole Foods Springfield fundraiser for the ASYMCA. A special thank you to the Davis Family and morning anchor Andrea Roane for their great support. Thank you for making military life easier!
Armed Services YMCA of the USA rated in the Top 2% of all Charities Nationwide
Charity Navigator is America’s premier independent charity evaluator. They help charitable givers make intelligent giving decisions by providing in-depth, objective ratings and analysis of the financial health and accountability & transparency of America’s largest charities. Charity Navigator awarded Charity Name four out of a possible four stars. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that Charity Name adheres to good governance and other best practices that minimize the chance of unethical activities and consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way. You can see the Armed Services YMCA’s 7th Consecutive Four Star Charity Rating here.
The Armed Services YMCA now ranks among the top 2% of all Charities nationwide. So please know that your donation does make an impact. Please donate today to help make military life easier for our enlisted troops and their families.
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl renews charitable partnership with Armed Services YMCA
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl renews charitable partnership with Armed Services YMCA
The Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) has once again joined forces with the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl for the 2012 postseason bowl game as one of the bowl’s official charity partners.
“We are very thankful Armed Services YMCA has chosen to continue to work with us,” said Brant Ringler, executive director of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. “Through their innovative programs, the Armed Services YMCA makes military life easier for young enlisted military and their families.
The Armed Services YMCA offers no and low-cost programs for nearly 500,000 active-duty enlisted military and their families each year at 33 branches and affiliates with hands on innovative programming nationwide with the help of 18,000 volunteers. The Armed Services YMCA was rated in the top 3% of charities nationwide by Charity Navigator in 2011. The ASYMCA does not receive government funding, and does not charge dues or membership fees for their programs. Your tax deductible donation (Tax ID #36-3274346) or CFC contribution (CFC # 11085) to the ASYMCA, a top-rated non-profit, will make a significant difference in the lives of young military service members and their families.
“The Armed Services YMCA is proud and extremely grateful for the opportunity to partner with Bell Helicopter and the Armed Forces Bowl for the second straight year. With their considerable help, we will be able to provide 500 troops and families representing all Services from multiple bases around the country the opportunity to attend the 10th Armed Forces Bowl,” said President and CEO of the Armed Services YMCA, Mike Landers. “A consistently strong partner of the ASYMCA, Bell’s continued support of American service members and their families definitely helps make military life easier for these young heroes.”
Owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl has featured the “armed forces” theme since 2006. Patriotic overtones recognizing all five branches of the service are prevalent throughout the game. Past Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowls have included fan-fest areas showcasing armed forces hardware; flyovers; demonstrations by several of the military’s top skydiving teams; the awarding of custom homes to wounded warriors; on-field induction ceremonies; armed forces bands and honor guards the awarding of the annual Great American Patriot Award presented by Armed Forces Insurance; and the Armed Forces Merit Award presented by the Football Writers Association of America. For additional information about the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, please visit ArmedForcesBowl.com, Facebook.com/ArmedForcesBowl or Twitter.com/ArmedForcesBowl.
The 10th anniversary Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will be played on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 at 10:45 a.m. (CT) at the newly-renovated Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas. The game will air on ESPN and ESPN Radio.
Tickets for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl are on sale now. With prices starting as low as $20 a ticket and ranging up to $150 for a Bud Light Platinum Club seat, tickets can be selected and purchased through the bowl’s web site at www.ArmedForcesBowl.com. Armed forces veterans and active duty personnel can also request their complimentary tickets through the bowl’s web site, or by calling the bowl office at 817-810-0012. Complimentary armed forces tickets are available via the bowl’s corporate military ticket underwriting program while supplies last.
Make Military Life Easier This Holiday Season…Please Donate to the Armed Services YMCA, CFC #11085
Click here to donate to the Armed Services YMCA
CFC # 11085
The Armed Services YMCA is proud to be included in the United Heroes Campaign, a comprehensive listing of pre-screened, certified, high quality charities serving military families and veterans with a detailed explanation of the services each provides. The Armed Services YMCA is a top-rated military non-profit that impacts young enlisted Military Families with innovative no and low cost programs and services. Please make a one time gift or a recurring donation on your credit card monthly to help make military life easier. The ASYMCA does not receive any government funding, dues or membership, and is entirely funded by private donations. Here is an example how how your donation can make a difference:
- A donation of $25 provides a military mother a half day of respite childcare to decompress and attend personal appointments.
- A donation of $45 connects and comforts a young military child with a free, hand-made, personalized photo quilt of their deployed parent thru “Operation Kid Comfort”.
- A donation of $100 enables three military children to attend a week of “Operation Hero”, an after-school character development program specially designed to increase resiliency and help them handle the challenges of life in a military family.
The Armed Services YMCA offers no and low-cost programs for nearly 500,000 active-duty enlisted military and their families each year at 33 branches and affiliates with hands on innovative programming nationwide with the help of 18,000 volunteers. For the 6th consecutive year, the Armed Services YMCA was rated in the top 3% of charities nationwide by Charity Navigator in 2011. We thank you for contributing what you can to assist in the effort. Your tax deductible donation (Tax ID #36-3274346) to the ASYMCA, a top-rated non-profit, will make a significant difference in the lives of young military service members and their families.
The Armed Services YMCA has received a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent evaluator of charities for the sixth consecutive year. Receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that the organization excels, as compared to other charities in America, in allocating and growing finances in the most fiscally responsible way possible. Less than 3% of the charities (rated by Charity Navigator) receive six consecutive four 4-star evaluations.
The Armed Services YMCA was also rated as a top ten military charity by USA TODAY in 2011.
Thank you for supporting military families. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Jonsie Stone, Associate Director, Fund Development, at the ASYMCA at (703) 455-3986 ext. 115
Drew and Brittany Brees and the Brees Dream Foundation Support Military Families and the Armed Services YMCA
October 2012
Join Drew and Brittany Brees and the Brees Dream Foundation by making military life easier through the Armed Services YMCA. The Brees Family has supported ASYMCA programs in San Diego such as free childcare for Wounded Warriors at Balboa Naval Medical Center and free photo quilts for military children of deployed through Operation Kid Comfort.
The Armed Services YMCA makes military life easier for 500,000 enlisted military and their families each year. For the 6th consecutive year, the Armed Services YMCA was rated in the top 3% of charities nationwide by Charity Navigator in 2011. The ASYMCA makes military life easier with free and low-cost programs for nearly 500,000 junior enlisted and their families each year at 33 branches and affiliates nationwide.
Chargers Launch NFL’s First Military Fan Club
Chargers.com | Oct 3, 2012
Membership into the Bolts for the Brave fan club comes with a VIP kit costing $49.99. It features unique merchandise and exclusive benefits, including a personalized welcome letter, membership certificate and membership card, camouflage hat, dog tags, Bolts for the Brave military velcro patch, exclusive raffle opportunities, and a 15% discount at the Chargers Team Store located at Qualcomm Stadium, Gate G and online at shop.chargers.com. The kits can also be shipped overseas to members of the military with APO and FPO addresses.
One person who is a big proponent of the newly formed fan club is head coach Norv Turner, who has strong military ties within his family
“I just think it’s outstanding, “said Turner. “There’s such a military presence in San Diego and the Chargers have been forerunners doing everything we can to support them. Obviously this is a way to help out people making a strong commitment to make us safe.”
You can become a Bolts for the Bravemember, or sign-up a friend or family member serving overseas, by registering on www.boltsforthebrave.com.
Ricky Henne
Managing Editor
Chargers.com
Armed Services YMCA CEO Landers meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Pantetta for the Nonprofit and Veterans Service Organization Roundtable
The Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta welcomes members participating in the Nonprofit and Veterans Service Organization Roundtable at the Pentagon, October 1, 2012. (DoD Photo By Glenn Fawcett) (Released)
ASYMCA CEO Mike Landers shared, ” I was honored to attend the Secretary of Defense Roundtable meeting for the principal leaders of 22 non-profits where we were provided briefings from senior Defense officials on the current challenges facing our leaders and our military. This is the first of many discussions and the start of a very productive relationship.”
Paying it Forward: A Thank You Note and Donation From a Grateful Relative of a Military Child
September | 2012
We received a donation of $100 from a grateful Aunt, whose sister is a Navy spouse, when she saw the impact that Operation Kid Comfort had on her Nephew.
“ My sister came home from the hurricane evacuation to find a beautiful quilt. It had her in tears to come home to such comfort. My nephew has had a very difficult time during his father’s deployment and none of the experts on base could help. My sister was told he was too young to know that his father was gone, but we all know that isn’t true. The letter saying it is okay to cry and miss him really helped both of them. This good work means the world to the people you are helping. Thank you.”
Thank you Erin H. for supporting the program so that more Military Families maybe able to be comforted by this great free program during deployment!
CharityWatch includes the Armed Services YMCA in their Top-Rated Military Charities with an “A” Ranking
From Charity Watch, please visit their website to see the entire listing:
Of the approximately six hundred charities currently rated by CharityWatch, only a select number qualify for our listing of Top-Rated charities based on our rigorous analysis. Groups included on the Top-Rated list generally spend 75% or more of their budgets on programs, spend $25 or less to raise $100 in public support, do not hold excessive assets in reserve, and receive “open-book” status for disclosure of basic financial information and documents to CharityWatch. Please see the Criteria section of the website for more information on the rating criteria and methodology that CharityWatch adheres to.
Each mission category below lists Top-Rated charities that receive high grades from CharityWatch. Top-Rated charities generally fall within the B+ to A+ grade range. CharityWatch may include on the Top-Rated list charities with a B grade in categories where no charities receive an B+ or higher rating. We do so for the purpose of providing donors with the letter grade rating of at least one highly rated group in each category.
This list is subject to change depending on the information CharityWatch receives concerning charitable organizations. As long as the charities maintain an “open book” status and score highly on CharityWatch’s financial criteria, their names will appear on this list.
CharityWatch encourages each donor to consider these factors and others, which you may feel are more significant, when making charitable giving decisions. CharityWatch provides this information to help you make your own decision concerning which charity to support. The letter grades represent the opinion of CharityWatch. Some organizations legitimately may account differently for their activities. Such organizations generally would receive higher grades based on their own criteria than on the criteria used by CharityWatch.
When information is given only on the national headquarters and the charity does not include its affiliates in its financial statements, “N.O.” (National Office) appears after the group’s name.
Because many factors determine a worthy charity, we at CharityWatch suggest that you use the ratings on this page not as the sole determining factor in your decision, but rather as an aid. The Charity Rating Guide provides much more information that will aid you in your giving decisions. Also, contact the charity in which you’re interested to determine if their mission and philosophy match yours.
