News and Updates

Many thanks to our national and local community partners for another successful and fulfilling Central Texas event: Operation Homefront Holiday Meals for Military Families at Texas A&M University–Central Texas on December 9, 2023.

We thank Operation Homefront for hosting this event and Operation Homefront’s Region 5 Program Coordinator, Mr. Brennan Avants, for driving from Boerne, Texas, to join our American Veterans Mission, Kohl’s, Walmart, Rudy’s “Country Store”​ and Bar-B-Q, and Girl Scouts of Central Texas Troops 20301 & 6300 volunteers to serve the military families of Central Texas.

Thanks also to Dollar Tree Stores of Central Texas for facilitating the holiday toy drive, United Through Reading for the books, Candid Images Photography for Santa’s photo station, Mountain View Productions for the motion video, Gel Blaster for the blaster toys, Procter and Gamble (P&G) for the household goods samples, and the Veterans United Foundation and James Avery Forging Hope for your generous contributions. Together, everyone achieves more!

Over a dozen community and nonprofit organizations participated at the Veterans Benefits Expo in time for Veterans Day to share their appreciation for our veterans and raise awareness and access to military-affiliated benefits for students and community partners for the area served by Texas A&M University-Central Texas (TAMUCT).

Among the community participants were the American Veterans Mission with Kohl’s, Taskforce Uplift, & TAMUCT Alumni Association, Lone Star Legal Services, State Farm, T-Mobile, Texas Veterans Commission, TAMUCT Career and Professional Development, Families in Crisis, Heart of Goodwill, Student Veterans of America, Department of Veterans Affairs, Vetcenter, and USO.

The American Veterans Mission, in partnership with Taskforce Uplift and Kohl’s, distributed 50 laptop computers to student veterans or their household members to help provide necessary technological service and aid to student veterans in need.

Ms. Kathleen McDonald, Assistant Director of University Relations, Alumni Service, and Community Engagement, volunteered to vet the student veterans or their household members and to confirm their enrollment. Kohl’s Killeen branch volunteers–Baron Hill, Molly, and Molly’s son–handed out laptops, networked, and actively engaged with the veterans and active-duty military service members who attended the event.

The American Veterans Mission values community partnerships and enjoys working with other nonprofit organizations and for-profit entities to provide services to our veterans in time for Veterans Day 2023. The laptop assistance program was made possible by Taskforce Uplift, Kohl’s, American Veterans Mission, and the Ted and Diane Connel Military and Veterans Service Center at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

Special thanks go to Heidi Hurda of Kohl’s, Steve Cundy of Taskforce Uplift, and Brennan Avants of Operation Homefront for their hard work in the background to make this program a reality on November 8, 2023. Together, everyone achieves more!

Opening hour of the Veterans Benefits Expo at Texas A&M University–Central Texas on November 8, 2023.

Some participants were State Farm, T-Mobile, American Red Cross, FAMILIES IN CRISIS INCORPORATED, American Veterans Mission/Kohl’s/Taskforce Uplift, Texas A&M University – Central Texas Alumni Association, Texas Veterans Commission, Texas A&M University-Central Texas Career and Professional Development, Lone Star Legal Aid, Student Veterans of America, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Vetcenter, and USO.

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Are you a current military student, a veteran student, or a student of a military/veteran household residing in central Texas who could use a free refurbished laptop in your educational endeavor? If so, please look for our table during the Veterans Benefits Expo on November 8, 2023, at Texas A&M University-Central Texas Warrior Hall to sign up for one. Laptops are limited, so we recommend pre-signing up by contacting admin@avmartinez.us or filling out the digital form at the Airtable Form Site.

Requirements:

1. Be an active-duty military or veteran or a member of their household.

2. Be able to show active-duty military ID card, dependent ID card, a copy of DD-214, or an endorsement letter from the Ted and Diane Connel Military and Veterans Service Center at pickup time.

3. Currently enrolled in a course online or at any college/university and can show proof of enrollment or an endorsement letter from the Ted and Diane Connel Military and Veterans Service Center at pickup time.

Pickup time is between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM CST during the Veterans Benefits Expo at the Warrior Hall, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, on Wednesday, November 8, 2023.

This program is made possible by the American Veterans Mission, Kohl’s, Taskforce Uplift, and the Ted and Diane Connel Military Veterans Service Center.

Photo Above: Taskforce Uplift, Kohl’s, American GI Forum, and American Veterans Mission teams at the Austin, Texas, networking event on October 31, 2023.

Photo Credit: Mr. Steve Cundy of Taskforce Uplift/Operation Techas.

Are you a current military student, a veteran student, or a student of a military/veteran household residing in central Texas who could use a free refurbished laptop in your educational endeavor? If so, please look for our table during the Veterans Benefits Expo on November 8, 2023, at Texas A&M University-Central Texas Warrior Hall to sign up for one. Laptops are limited, so we recommend pre-signing up by contacting admin@avmartinez.us.

Below are the requirements to receive a free refurbished laptop:

1. Be an active-duty military or veteran or a member of their household.
2. Be able to show active-duty military ID card, dependent ID card, a copy of DD-214, or an endorsement from the Ted and Diane Connel Military and Veterans Service Center at pickup time.
3. Currently enrolled in a course online or at any college/university and can show proof of enrollment at pickup time.

Pickup time is between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM CST during the Veterans Benefits Expo at the Warrior Hall, Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

This program is made possible by Taskforce Uplift, Kohl’s, American Veterans Mission, and the Ted and Diane Connel Military Veterans Service Center of Texas A&M University–Central Texas.

For more information or to reserve your laptop, please get in touch with us at admin@avmartinez.us.

Regarding: Lifetime Achievement Award

Due to the recent changes, the President’s Volunteer Service Award’s office will require three pieces of data for each Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. The American Veterans Mission’s staff must now confirm that volunteers have all of this information before recommending them for a Lifetime Achievement Award.

1. The recipient is a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident. Reviewing one’s social security card, passport, or green card will suffice as verification.
2. The recipient is not a registered sex offender. It is crucial that all Lifetime Achievement Award recipients exhibit characteristics that honor the Office of the President of the United States; therefore, one should not be listed on the National Sex Offender Registry.
3. Our staff will now need to provide 3-5 sentences as to how the recipient earned the Lifetime Achievement Award.

If you have any questions or concerns prior to submitting your Lifetime Achievement Award certification to the American Veterans Mission or other certifying organizations (CO), please email us at admin@avmartinez.us or at support@pointsoflight.org.

Posted: October 12, 2023; 1905 CST