We hear a lot about the dollar not stretching as far as it used to. Factor in a sagging economy and you can see why Americans want the best value for their money.

That’s why HHV is proud of keeping its promise to donors that they will receive value for their contributions.

Since its inception in 1971, HHV has been committed to deliver an arts & crafts kit to a veteran or military patient that retails for at least the amount contributed; a commitment maintained through constant negotiations for quality affordable supplies, materials and services. HHV pays all shipping costs to deliver the arts & crafts, which the 40-year average is $2.59* per kit.

So while a contribution of $8 may not buy much in a retail environment, it will help make the life a veteran or military patient a little brighter by providing them with a therapeutic HHV arts and crafts kit.

Arts and crafts do so much more than simply help fill spare time. Working on kits supports recovery and rehabilitation by improving fine motor skills, increasing concentration abilities, strengthening physical dexterity and relieving the stresses that often accompany battlefield-weary minds.

What makes the HHV arts and crafts program even more special – included within each kit is a postcard with the name of the supporter who made that kit possible. These postcards present veterans with a unique opportunity to personally thank donors for their support. Adding to this special feature of the program are the countless pen-pal relationships between HHV supporters and veterans that have resulted, further stretching the overall donation value and therapeutic benefits received.

When you factor in all of these details, it’s easy to see the merit of the arts and crafts program HHV provides not only to its donors, but especially to the veterans it serves, sending a message to patients that they are not forgotten.

And remember, the kits have and always will be absolutely free of charge to our veteran and military patients because the price has already been paid by their sacrifices.

On behalf of the HHV board of directors, I gratefully thank each and every one of our supporters for making a difference in the lives of our nation’s veterans.

- Mike

* To determine the average cost for a private individual to send a craft kit to a veteran, HHV has utilized the USPS Parcel Post Rate Charts from 2/14/70 to 5/12/08 by totaling the “up to two-pounds” rate total and dividing it by the number of rate changes that have occurred since 1970.

Winchester, CA – Korean War veteran Raymond Bledsaw brought something back from his tour of duty—a constant fear of attack by North Korea.

“The pressure of wondering if they would do something awful or not was always with me and it was no surprise; we had nine high alerts during the 13 months I was there,” explained Bledsaw, who worked at a missile base near the 38th parallel; a base heavily monitored by the North Koreans. “But it was more than that for those of us who served. The threat was very real and the fear was every day and it has stayed with me ever since.”

Following his discharge from the U.S. Army in 1978, Bledsaw returned to Alaska, and right away he knew something was wrong. “I was home, but the fear was still there. I couldn’t shake it; it took over my entire being.”

Bledsaw sought treatment from the VA to help him with his anxiety. “I was always interested in woodworking, and when I saw the craft kits donated by Help Hospitalized Veterans I decided to give one a try. I finished the kit about a week later, and the way it turned out made my self-esteem go way up,” he said. “Not only did I create something nice, it made me feel like I could still be productive. And most importantly, when I’m working on a craft kit, the stress inside releases—it just melts away.”

Bledsaw created beautiful wooden baskets over the years, often giving them as gifts to friends and relatives. “I’m very grateful that there are Americans who donate to the Help Hospitalized Veterans craft kit program,” he said.

And recently, Bledsaw received what he said was “great news” about being accepted into Help Hospitalized Veterans’ (HHV) Patient Home Rehabilitation (PHR) program which will allow him to receive his arts and crafts kits directly at home. When he was informed about being accepted into the PHR program, Bledsaw told HHV, “You can’t believe how happy this makes me.”

Since its inception in 1971, HHV has donated over 28 million arts and craft kits—free of charge—to VA and military hospitals worldwide. “The Patient Home Rehabilitation program makes it so much more convenient for veteran patients to receive the therapeutic arts & craft they need to support their rehabilitation,” said Chrissy Sarvela, HHV’s PHR coordinator.

Dear Help Hospitalized Veterans:

This letter is to acknowledge your contribution of craft kits.

Our veterans appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness to donate the craft kits for their pleasure and recreation. They enjoy spending time working on their projects and take great pride in their accomplishments.

Your continued support is a great boost to our arts and crafts program and we thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Raymond Lau, MBA, MHA
Administrator
Veterans Home
Barstow, California
April 2, 2013

“The Valentines for Veterans Concerts were established for a number of reasons, one of which is to give folks attending the opportunity to show their love and support to our military and their families,” said Lynch.

Performance artists included Juice Newton, Lonestar, Aaron Tippin, the Chi-Lites and many more, all of whom played a huge part in making the Concerts a success. “HHV is extremely proud of the artists that participated in this year’s Concert Series, many of whom took additional time out of their busy schedules to visit with hospitalized veterans before and after their shows,” Lynch said.

HHV partnered with dozens of organizations in communities across America to ensure that the Concerts would be successful, and local VA medical centers played key roles in the smooth running throughout.

“Thousands of people attended a Valentines for Veterans Concert this year and not one of them paid for a ticket because we believe the price has already been paid by our veteran’s sacrifices,” added Lynch.

“There’s more to the Concert Series initiative than entertainment, though, as thousands of people expressed an interest in volunteering for VA, merely as a result of attending a Concert. This is just a wonderful cause,” said Lynch.

Dearest People,

I am a veteran of the Korean Conflict.

For emotional support and companionship, I attend a weekly Day Care Health Center. We usually work on crafts, and I have really gotten to know and appreciate the HHV donations.

You are a beautiful program, so much appreciated not only by me, but by so many veterans everywhere that have used your items for aid and recovery.

This is such a worthwhile operation and helps in unexplainable ways to so many veterans. We need you!

Keep up the good work…I admire what you do.

Sincerely,
Marianne H., Pennsylvania
March 15, 2013

Dear HHV,

Thank you so much for always thinking of me and sending me kits… I enjoy putting them together!

I appreciate all of your hard work to help us wounded vets!

Sincerely,
Peter B., Massachusetts
March 6, 2013

Dear HHV,

Thank you so much for always thinking of me and sending me kits… I enjoy putting them together!

I appreciate all of your hard work to help us wounded vets!

Sincerely,
Peter B., Massachusetts
March 6, 2013

March 2013

Facility: Georgetown, Ohio Veterans Home

CCS: Diane Rego

Time of Service: 1 Month

Since January of this year, HHV has provided the Georgetown, Ohio Veterans Home with Craft Care Specialist (CCS) Diane Rego.

Rego, who has a degree in the arts, is HHV’s newest CCS. She looks forward to serving the veterans at her location, and has already received some wonderful comments from the veterans there.

“The veterans I serve acknowledge on a daily basis how much they appreciate my presence and the opportunity to spend time making kits,” said Rego.

“One veteran told me that he really enjoy listening to music and visiting with others while working with his hands, and another that the clocks and bird houses are his favorite kits,” she added.

Rego, whose own father and several uncles are military veterans, resides with her husband in southern Ohio. In addition to raising Black Angus cows and growing hay, Rego loves to cook and bake from scratch, and often shares her creations with others.

Winchester, CA – What began more than four decades ago as an endeavor to help local San Diego veterans wounded in Vietnam has blossomed into a full-scale international operation.

Help Hospitalized Veterans’ (HHV), which has since moved from San Diego to Winchester, California has a primary objective – to help our nation’s sick and injured military veteran population recover from ailments both physical and emotional, through its therapeutic arts & crafts kits.

Back in 1972, celebrated actor and military advocate Bob Hope helped the organization become more visible to Americans by delivering the one-millionth craft kit to Vietnam veteran Eugene Gardner. This year, HHV surpassed the deliverance of 28 million kits worldwide.

The kits, such as models, wood items, leather projects, painting kits and many others have helped ease the minds of those suffering from memories of the battlefield, and even distract them during uncomfortable medical procedures, easing their pain. For those suffering partial paralysis or hand and arm injuries, working on craft kits has helped patients regain fine motor skills.

And veterans with traumatic brain injuries have reported that working on the kits helped them improve their concentration abilities.

HHV craft kits also provide a sense of purpose to veterans in substance abuse programs; veterans who have in many cases lost all sense of self-worth after spending years of “self medicating” anxieties and stress away. Developing a creative activity has, in many cases, become an effective method for patients to keep their minds occupied while also helping them develop healthy alternatives for dealing with stressors that can lead back to the cycle of addiction.

Additionally, HHV employs dozens of Craft Care Specialists (CCS) who are stationed nationally at various locations to serve veterans and military patients. The CCS distributes arts and crafts kits locally and helps veterans choose kits that are suited to their recovery or rehabilitation needs. Thousands of veterans have furthered and in some cases discovered an artistic ability through HHV’s arts and crafts products and services.

Today, HHV continues to serve military and veteran patients in many ways, which now includes additional programs and sponsorships designed to make a positive difference in the lives of hospitalized and disabled veterans, becoming something far greater than its founders ever imagined.

Dear HHV,

The St. James Missouri Veterans Home received the 4,621 kits that you shipped.

Our Veterans were very excited to see what came in for them to work on in this shipment. Thank you so much for this wonderful service you do for our Hospitalized Veterans.

Sincerely,
Karen Malone
Recreational Therapist
Veterans Home
St. James, Missouri
February 25, 2013