Free Transportation To Veterans Sailing Event

Riverbank — August 20, 2018— American Veterans First is pleased to announce, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Reese

Farms of Farmington, CA. we have partnered with Stanislaus County Veteran's Service Office to provide free transportation for the second annual Sail to Recovery program Take A Veteran Sailing, Saturday, September 22, 2018.

Veterans and their family members who pre-register for our second annual Sail to Recovery program Take A Veteran Sailing, Saturday, September 22, 2018, with Stanislaus County Veteran's Service Office at 3500 Coffee Rd #19, Modesto, CA may receive a ticket for round-trip transportation free of charge, while supplies last. Staff at Stanislaus County Veteran's Service Office can assist veterans in registration for the event. On the morning of Saturday, September 22, a 25 passenger Storer Coachways bus will depart at 11 AM from Stanislaus County Veteran's Service Office at 3500 Coffee Rd #19, Modesto, CA and return ticket holders to that back to that location at 6 PM after the Take A Veteran Sailing event. Space is limited. Preregistration is required. Contact the  Stanislaus County Veteran's Service Office to reserve your spot at (209) 558-7380 or contact Sail to Recovery with your questions about this program

event at sailtorecovery@gmail.com

Event Details:

· Second Annual Sail to Recovery Take A Veteran Sailing

· Sailing for Health & Well Being

· Open to All Veterans, Active Duty, First Responders, and Families who support them.

· Saturday, September 22nd. 12 pm to 5 pm

· Stockton Sailing Club, 4980 Buckley Cove Way, Stockton, California, CA

· A late lunch of burgers, chips, and refreshments will be provided around 3:30 pm. $10

· Space is limited. Preregistration is required.

· Register for the event at sailtorecovery.org before September 15, 2018

· This Program is made possible by American Veterans First, Stockton Sailing Club and our generous sponsors.

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American Veterans First Earns Tax Exempt Status

By Virginia Still - Riverbank News

After an 18-month battle to acquire a 501(c)(3) designation, American Veterans First (AVF) has finally achieved their goal of becoming a tax-exempt public charity.

The veteran and first responder refuge that CEO Duke Cooper created around this time two years ago has seen many faces come and go, including those serving on the board of directors. There has been a restructuring and remodeling going on at AVF and Cooper said he wants the community to know that they are back and better than ever. With the accomplishment of obtaining the tax exempt status and the addition of new ACF Board President, Kevin Fox, there is excitement for new programs, grant funding and much more.

“Our brand out there, AVF, I am very proud of that,” stated Cooper. “And now we made some changes last month that really needed to be done and now that we have the 501(c)(3) it took a thousand pounds off my shoulders. I can take a deep breath.”

CEO Duke Cooper is the face and creator of American Veterans First and has something to smile about after receiving their 501(c)(3) that they had been working hard to obtain for over a year. - photo by Photo By Virginia Still

Among many programs like the coat and blanket drive or the care package drive for active duty service men and women overseas, AVF has been active in helping veterans within the community. Fox and Cooper collaborated and created Sail to Recovery, also known as Women in the Wind, for women in the military, female veterans, female first responders and military/veteran/first responder wives.

“That (Sail to Recovery) is just one example of the uniqueness of AVF and there is so much more that they are doing,” said Fox. “There is such a need and these guys are filling it.”

The first board meeting after receiving the 501(c)(3) status was held last week where they discussed the vision of AVF, where they are and where they want to be, as well as how to stay vibrant within the community. They expressed that along with this new status there is also a lot of responsibility that comes with it.

“So there is a lot of responsibility that comes along with that which is why the restructuring and order needs to take place,” added Fox of the new 501(c)(3) designation. “It allows us to go after funding for special needs beyond chairs. It really opens a ‘whole new world’ for lack of a better word for what we might be able to accomplish. It really is a game changer.”

They are actively searching for new board members to join AVF and eventually may be looking for staff to manage the day to day activities.

In a recent press release Cooper noted, “We are excited for the possibilities and impact we are going to make in the Veterans community across the Central Valley.”

Over the past couple of years, AVF has provided reconditioned mobility assist chairs to veterans, clothing and blankets in the cold winter months to veterans without a home, secured and installed cooling units in the hot summer months, repaired leaking roofs in the wet winter months, collected and shipped hundreds of care packages for deployed service members abroad, provided temporary financial assistance to help veterans make ends meet, and organized family-oriented social events to reconnect veterans to civilian life.

Under the Internal Revenue Service code, Section 170, the tax-exempt status will now allow American Veterans First’s donors to deduct contributions they make to the organization.

“We have learned over the last 18 months about the unique needs of the veterans’ community, through the lens of that community we serve,” expressed Fox. “We are looking toward the future for the best possible ways we can make an impact. This milestone is a catapult to assist in securing funding to do that.”

Second Annual “Sail to Recovery” Take A Veteran Sailing event.

For Release Time

July 16, 2018

American Veterans First Announces Second Annual “Sail to Recovery” Take A Veteran Sailing event.

Riverbank — July 16, 2018 — Today at the Riverbank, CA. headquarters, American Veterans First announced the date for the second annual Sail to Recovery program Take A Veteran Sailing.

“From the statistics compiled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), approximately 83,000 veterans live in The Greater Central Valley and Central Foothills. It is because of the this that American Veterans First and Stockton Sailing Club have partnered with their expertise to provide effective sailing therapy for Veteran and First Responder communities. The sailing therapy is similar in concept to veterans working with horses or being exposed to a stressful environment where they can show a success. Sailing brings mental relief to our veterans and First responders. There is definitively no doubt that sailing heals and we are proud to say that we contribute to this healing process.” said Duke Cooper, CEO atAmerican Veterans First.

Event Details:

• Second Annual Sail to Recovery Take A Veteran Sailing

• Sailing for Health & Well Being

• Open to All Veterans, Active Duty, First Responders, and Families who support them.

• Saturday, September 22nd. 12 pm to 5 pm

•  Stockton Sailing Club, 4980 Buckley Cove Way, Stockton, California, CA

•  A late lunch of burgers, chips, and refreshments will be provided around 3:30 pm. $10

• Space is limited. Preregistration is required.

• Register for the event at sailtorecovery.org before September 15, 2018

• This Program is made possible by American Veterans First, Stockton Sailing Club and our generous sponsors.

“Even though at times it can be seen as extreme, this sailing activity is not dangerous. Taking veterans sailing provides an often new and definitively liberating experience. Veterans are exposed to new sounds, new feelings, new or renewed social interaction and new types of challenges. Sailing at Stockton Sailing Club and being supported by others while on a sailboat on the San Joaquin River Deep Water Channel at the Port of Stockton exposes our veterans to positive and constructive stress. It forces each veteran to work with other unfamiliar veterans to make a team that gets the boat moving.” said Kevin Fox, Sail to Recovery program director & Board President at American Veterans First.

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American Veterans First is a 501 (c)(3) public charity.

Testimonial Video: https://youtu.be/M8xVfzo9WyA