iPads, kayak and elliptical aid veterans in mental, physical recovery

The American Legion continues to provide grants to individual veterans and patients at VA medical centers through its Operation Comfort Warriors (OCW) program. These grants provide rehabilitation and recreational equipment, and other daily-use items needed to aid in recovery.

The following are a few recent grants provided by OCW.

Apple iPads are helping the Minneapolis VA Health Care System provide virtual visitor opportunities to patients since the COVID-19 pandemic has closed VA medical center doors to outside visitors. Those plans involved an $18,000 Operation Comfort Warriors grant from The American Legion.

On July 30, 50 Apple iPads were presented to VA Minneapolis Director Pat Kelly to help connect inpatient veterans face-to-face virtually with their loved ones during this ongoing pandemic.

Kelly shared during the iPad presentation by American Legion Department of Minnesota leadership that while veterans come to the VA for their health care needs, they also have social needs and “need to be connected to their families and loved ones. (The iPads) enables that connection. Without these iPads we would not be able to facilitate the same level of social support that our veterans get because of the work of The American Legion. So we are incredibly grateful.”

A kayak is providing mental recovery to an active duty Navy servicemember who is stationed at Wounded Warrior Battalion East in Camp Lejeune, N.C., with stage 3 testicular cancer. Due to being isolated because of the risk of COVID-19, the kayak will provide the servicemember and his wife time in the outdoors to keep their “minds and spirits healthy,” said the wife.

A recumbent elliptical is providing a veteran in Kansas cardio fitness with low impact on his spine.
Donate. One hundred percent of donations to the Operation Comfort Warriors program go to purchasing comfort items for veterans and servicemembers.