DAV Traveling the Country to help our Veterans

Last week I highlighted for you some of the work that HP recently did with the PVA National Wheelchair Games in Denver. The important part of the event was not our sponsorship or providing the technology to help out the games, it was about the stories of the tremendous veterans we met who have lived truly inspirational lives.

This week, I’ll be in the Washington, D.C., area at an event that inspires a similar message. HP has been lucky enough to work with the Disabled American Veterans, providing their mobile service units with technology that helps disabled veterans nationwide get access to the benefits and compensation they have earned. This week, we’ll be hosting a tour stop for one of the DAV mobile service units at our HP offices in Bethesda, MD, giving veterans a chance to answer any questions they have about their compensation and benefits.

Last year, the DAV mobile offices traveled more than 114,056 miles, visited 727 cities and interviewed 18,647 veterans and other potential claimants. With the addition of the mobile strategy, the DAV assists nearly a quarter of a million veterans and their families each year in claims for benefits that their sacrifices have earned.

But, like our experience with the veterans at the wheelchair games, it’s really the stories behind the scenes that illustrate why the work the DAV does is so important. For instance, one veteran recently transitioned from homelessness to having his own apartment after one quick visit with the DAV to help him qualify for the appropriate benefits. We also heard a story from one of the DAV service officers about a Vietnam War veteran with lung cancer who struggled to receive his military benefits, but showed up at a DAV office and had his benefits granted that same day.

The DAV National Service Officers– themselves disabled veterans – are making a significant impact in the lives of the veterans, and it is really amazing to see how many people they can help by traveling the country meeting with them face-to-face.

Here’s an inside look at the trek the DAV mobile units have taken across the country. You can also see some pictures we took at the event here.