Oklahoma American Veterans News

UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT COUPONS

Manufacturer's grocery coupons can be used for up to six months past their printed expiration
date at overseas military commissaries! (PLEASE NOTE: Due to mailing time and finding
someone there to divide up coupons once they arrive we have been asked to send them
no more than 2 weeks expired.) We have discovered that in order to get them repackaged
and mailed quickly it helps to receive them before they expire, or at the very latest, no more
than a week expired.

CURRENT COUPONS-  In addition to helping those living overseas, unexpired ones help
families living in the U.S

Not too long ago, some of our supporters began sending unexpired (current) coupons
with the request that we use those to help Veterans and military persons living, here
in the US. Those unexpired coupons have been used to purchase food for food baskets,
personal care items such as shampoo, toilet paper, shaving items and even “body wash”
for use by nurses aids, when bathing hospitalized Veterans.

OAVN volunteers stretch every penny by watching sales. OAVN uses current
coupons, that people are kind enough to share from their Sunday paper. The
addition of coupons, to go with sales, helps ensure the best prices possible.

The “discount” realized from a coupon frees up funds for purchasing Christmas gifts
for Vets. Our Executive Director, also a volunteer, was able to get 180 name brand
sweat suits for the hospitalized Veterans, at two dollars below cost, along with grip
socks for each.

Coupons have been used to stretch our funds for:

• DOT'S CHRISTMAS STORE
  
• BODY WASH- Nurses Aids at the Jack C. Montgomery sometimes buy this much needed item from their own pocket.   We do try to provide this several times a year. 
• ACTIVE MILITARY Current manufacturers coupons that you won't be using are sent to an Oklahoma military base to help those families. 
  
• Helping provide groceries for struggling Vets.
• A HAND UP- Many Veterans do not want a "hand out" but they do love a good
  discount. Veterans here in the U.S. who could use a helping hand, yet who do not wish to ask for help at a food pantry. (Many simply do not have the extra funds to buy a newspaper to obtain coupons.)  Because so many people use grocery coupons at the store, this is a way to provide a helping hand without embarrassment to anyone.  

What would normally be put into the recycle bin or taken out with the trash,
can be a real blessing to others.

OTHER AREAS:

CHRISTMAS CARDS- Many of us have left over Christmas cards that we don't
use the next year because we have a box of new ones to send. Those "leftovers"
are perfect to sign your name and send to hospitalized Veterans at the Jack C.
Montgomery Hospital in Muskogee, Attn: Director VA/VS. 

WHEEL CHAIRS- OAVN has a few available to help Veterans who may have not
qualified for one, through the VA.

FEEDING HUNGRY LITTLE TUMMIES The wife of a military officer, who taught school
while stationed overseas, kept a pantry to feed American soldiers children, who
often came to school hungry.  Although struggling to get by while living overseas,
these American families can't get food stamps to help make ends meet. Sharing
coupons is one way that we can help others, even when our own money is tight. 

UPDATE!


What began as "FEEDING HUNGRY LITTLE TUMMIES" in February
2010 continues to grow and evolve.

Several people who have shared expired coupons have begun to send their unexpired coupons requesting that we use them, in whatever way we can, to help Veterans and others here in the U.S. 

Here is a sampling of some of the things we have been able to do so far with their unexpired coupons:

• VA hospital- personal care items such as razors, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, phone cards, pencils, paper, etc.
• DAV food baskets items.  (Recently, in just one day the DAV had 12 Vets come in who needed help.)
• restaurant coupons to a home-bound Veteran and his wife who were having to order food from restaurants.
• microwaveable meals to keep on hand for a home-bound Vet.
• Boost and Ensure coupons - Sr. Citizens Center
• items delivered to the family of a Veteran when he passed away.
• coupons to a Veteran who ate only one brand of frozen meal each night, for his dinner.
  
• cat and dog food coupons help Vets feed their animal or if none need them they are donated to the Humane Society.
• items purchased to give to a few families going through hard times.
• helped provide a meal to volunteers working at Haven House (located in Muskogee, where female relatives of hospitalized Veterans can stay)
• food and personal items for those who stay at Haven House
• items for Blue Star Mothers boxes
• VA Clinic - During the year we hand out something as a small gesture to say "thank you" to our Vets.  Coupons allow us to buy more so we can thank more Vets.

We apologize that we don't have the manpower to allow us to continue tallying the coupons,
as we were doing in the beginning.

BANANAS AND RAISINS FOR VETERANS   The night before lab work, Veterans may be required to "fast", which can leave them shaky and weak the next day. A small box of raisins or a banana, given to them when leaving the clinic can help until  they can have a meal. When possible, OAVN likes to provide bananas and raisins at the  Ernest Childers Veterans Clinic. OAVN volunteers will pass these out when they have the funds. Last year volunteers were able to do this five days during the year. 

OKLAHOMA AMERICAN VETERANS NEWS (OAVN) STRETCHES  EVERY DOLLAR  
In the fall of 2009, OAVN made the decision to contact past donors by mail, saving on phone and office expenses. However, the numerous requests for help that we are receiving may soon make it necessary that we make a few calls to alert past donors of this ever increasing need.