2016 – Community Support Makes a Difference
By Samantha Barrett, Development Director, Panhandle Warrior Partnership
Greetings Veterans and supporters of Veterans’ causes! I hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that 2017 ushers in a sense of purpose and hope for each and every one of you! As we welcome 2017 here at Panhandle Warrior Partnership, we take time to reflect in appreciation for all those that have helped us accomplish our mission to support veterans of Florida’s 1st Congressional District. From our advocates and interns, to our volunteers and donors, every bit has counted and we’ve made substantive impact on the lives of many veterans in need in our community.
I’d like to give a special “thank you” to those who helped make our Holiday Food Drive a resounding success. Our food came from a number of resources-the employees of BAE Systems in Mary Esther, Florida, Mana Food Bank, Ever’man Grocery, Heroes on the Water, and Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. We had many volunteers that gave their time to help sort food, as well as deliver it to needy veterans and families. And although a food donation is a short-term fix to a much more complicated challenge, it was well received and greatly appreciated by all. So again, for all those whose generosity and hard work made the food drive a success-THANK YOU!
On a very important note, I’d like to announce that our 2017 survey will be distributed to veterans of the Florida Panhandle on the 2nd of January and will be available until the 1st of February. I highly encourage all veterans to take time to complete the survey! The survey should take no more than ten minutes to complete and it will provide us with very useful information on how we’re doing in our service to you, as well as which veterans needs require attention and focus. Without your input, we can never truly know how we can best support you. As an incentive, we are going to have a drawing and award FIVE, $100 Amazon gift cards to five lucky winners that enter their data in the survey. Please take the survey-you can’t win if you don’t take it!
Finally, as we reflect on the work we’ve done in the past year, it reminds us of how much more work there is to accomplish. With that said, we can’t do it without your help. As we start our fundraising push for early 2017, I ask that you consider Panhandle Warrior Partnership when making your charitable contributions. We will have a push to raise our grant match for 2017, which will allow us to continue to operate through the remainder of the year and the spring of 2018. Without it, we will be greatly limited in the services we can provide, so every donation counts-and is appreciated!
Again, I want to thank you for your support and wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. And as always remember: if you need us, we’re here for you; if you want to help, we need you.
For more information on the organization, visit: http://www.panhandlewarriors.org/