Frequently Asked Questions
How fast will the veteran get a check?
Once approved the check is sent within a few days directly to the landlord or organization where a debt is due. Never directly to the Veteran.
What in kind support are you seeking?
We have received support ranging from trucks and helicopters to deliver PPE supplies, clothes, toys, and small refrigerators. We receive donations that are earmarked for specific support like water container units.
Can a veteran approach the VMLC directly?
No. Our process is simple, you must be engaged with a VA social worker to be vetted.
I’m a Veteran outside of Maricopa County how can I get supported?
Arizona has over 500,000 Veterans and approximately 50 percent live in Maricopa County. Unfortunately we can’t help everyone due to limited resources. Our Returning Warriors fund which works directly with the Social Workers at the Phoenix VA Medical Center, is focused on helping Veterans in Maricopa County. When we learned of the dire situation of our Veterans due to Covid in 2020 in the Navajo Nation - it was tough to stand by and not help. We collaborated with a variety of organizations to help. Our intentions are to still help them with others but our focus is on our Veterans in Maricopa County in need.
Why do WATER TANKS MATTER?
30% of Navajo Nation does not have running water. It’s not just the gallon of water they should be drinking a day but they also need to cook, bath and wash regularly. How do you maintain Corvid’s sanitation standards if you have to haul water long distances in 5 gallon buckets? Keep in mind most of the population lives hours away from fill stations and they have less than reliable transportation. Water bottles don’t last long and generate substantial trash that is difficult to dispose of. The 250-300 gallon water tanks can last much longer and need to be hauled far less often. Some water delivery trucks are available. NASVU sees additional water trucks as another opportunity to improve conditions in the future. The Navajo Nation needs roughly 20,000 water tanks currently and most of the other southwest tribes face similar conditions..
How much does it cost to deliver goods ?
How much does it cost to deliver goods ? One truck load full of water tanks cost $7,500.00 One Solar kit cost and refrigerator $ 5,000.00 One Helicopter with Supplies cost $5,000.00 One Tractor trailer sponsor for supply missions cost $1,000.00 One Chainsaw cost $250.00 One aircraft cost to fly MD-902 cost $1,500.00 an hour
Are there similar organizations like VMLC in other states?
Not to our knowledge. If anyone would like create a Veteran support group like ours we would be willing to help and consult.
Is the VMLC only supporting veterans in Maricopa?
Our mission has evolved, and we have started to help others outside Maricopa. Our biggest support has been for the Navajo Nation Veterans living off the grid, especially during the Covid pandemic. Note: We have recently started supporting the VA in Prescott
What’s next?
Our strategy is to support our Vets in Navajo Country with solar units that will run small refrigerators to hold vital medicine for the many diabetics we have learned about.
What is the cost to sponsor a veteran in the Warrior PATHH program for Post-Traumatic Stress?
$6250 will sponsor one Veteran for the entire year long program
Why is FOOD and HEALTHCARE aid so CRITICAL?
The Navajo Nation has 13 grocery stores and 13 health clinics in an area that is bigger than the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont combined. This number is a devastatingly inadequate. To put it into perspective, the state of Massachusetts, which is 30% of the Navajo Nation’s size, has 1,383 stores and 97 hospitals. In other words, 1/3 the area has 106 times as many grocery stores and 7.5 times the number of hospital compared to clinics. The Navajo nation has one doctor for every 1781 people compare to Arizona’s one doctor for every 399 people. There are 1.9 hospital beds for every 1000 people in Arizona yet only 0.3 hospital beds for our counterparts living on the Navajo Nation.
ELECTRICITY; is it a CONVENIENCE or a MATTER of LIFE and Death?
Most Americans take electricity for granted and we can’t even fathom that entire regions of the Navajo Nation are off the grid so to speak. 30% of Navajo Nation is not connected to electricity. Sounds difficult but not dangerous, RIGHT? Consider that 100,000 Navajo or 50% of adult populations live with type II diabetes or prediabetes (CDC stats). So how do they keep insulin refrigerated in the hot summer months without electricity? In the winter months they can keep their insulin outside in the snow if they are lucky enough to heat their substandard homes. Imagine living in the high desert snow and cold without electricity to help heat your home in the winter. Having electricity is a matter of life and death to all of us, especially to the diabetic Native Americans so NASVU is pursuing solar options to alleviate the hardships that allow so many to perish needlessly.