Nebraska Lt. Gov. Thanks VFW for Donation Benefitting Veterans Home Residents
Nebraska VFW donates vans
January 11, 2013
(Lincoln, Neb.) Lt. Gov. Rick Sheehy today thanked the Veterans of
Foreign Wars (VFW) for a contribution totaling nearly $27,000 that
helped provide four new vehicles for use at the state’s veterans homes.
The vans were delivered today and transferred to drivers with
the state’s veterans homes in Norfolk, Bellevue and Grand Island. The
Nebraska VFW applied for funding to provide four vans meeting Americans
With Disabilities Act requirements and provided matching funds needed
for the purchase.
“I want to thank the VFW for their generosity in helping
acquire new buses for our veterans homes,” said Lt. Gov. Sheehy. “Our
veterans groups support our military personnel and our veterans in many
ways. This is just another great example of their outstanding work.”
The smaller, more efficient vans are equipped to provide safe
transportation for seated and wheelchair passengers and any staff
needed to accompany veterans for medical appointments and other
community excursions.
Nebraska VFW Adjutant John Liebsack said, “This has been a
two year project and we’re so pleased to contribute something that has
an impact on the daily lives of veterans at the state’s veterans
homes.”
Each van cost $33,750 for a total of $135,000. The Nebraska
VFW provided 20 percent of the total, with 80 percent coming from the
state’s share of federal funding for a program helping private,
non-profit entities purchase vehicles to aid in the transportation of
persons with disabilities and the elderly.
John Hilgert, Director of the Nebraska Department of Veterans
Affairs and the Division of Veterans Homes in the Nebraska Department
of Health and Human Services, said, “These vehicles will help veterans
to go to doctor’s appointments and make trips to the VA hospital. They
will also allow them to go on outings and attend events of interest to
them.”
The funding for the program comes from the Federal Transit
Administration and is administered by the Nebraska Department of Roads.
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