Dedicated Warrior Receives Needed Assistance

Jan 03, 2013

The Burns family knows what it means to face challenges. Michael, the patriarch of the family, has gone through multiple deployments resulting in numerous injuries.

The first incident involved his vehicle hitting an IED. The second occurred when he was flung out of the gunner’s turret. He sustained a third set of injuries during his second tour, this time due to shrapnel from an IED. After being transferred to a medical center to heal, he returned to Iraq just one month later.

Michael is a dedicated fighter for his country, but after returning home to the nation he gave so much to, he wasn’t able to maintain a civilian job due to his injuries. His family was in a tight spot and needed help, so he sought advice from a VA representative.

The representative pointed him to VFW’s Unmet Needs program. The program approved the Burns family for a grant, ensuring funds for the family’s rent and utilities. Michael’s wife Robyn was overwhelmed with relief once the assistance came. She was so grateful to have an organization understand what their family was going through. “It was so great to feel like we were not being judged and people understood my husband’s injuries,” she said.

Since 2004, VFW’s Unmet Needs program has provided over 3,200 emergency financial grants for military families during troubling times.

To learn more about the Unmet Needs program or other VFW National Military Assistance programs, click here.