Last year, we were faced with an incredibly difficult situation. Our Veterans Innovations Program, which provides assistance to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families, was running out of money. With huge cuts being taken in the state budget, we knew there was no money available to replenish this incredibly successful program.
Thankfully a creative lawmaker, Senator Steve Conway, and our tenacious Veterans Legislative Coalition got together with WDVA and Washington’s Lottery to create a way to keep the Veterans Innovations Program funded for years to come.
In the span of just a few months, legislators passed a bill, Washington’s Lottery created new program, and together we generated enough awareness and interest to sell 292,841 Hometown Heroes Raffle tickets. Our goal was to sell 300,000 tickets but even though we fell just a little bit short, the results are impressive.
This past Veterans Day, we marked the first drawing of the Hometown Heroes Raffle. We’re still waiting on the final figures to see how much the raffle generated, but I am thrilled with what we were able to accomplish. I want to personally thank those of you who helped by purchasing tickets and by letting your friends, families and organizations know about this great program. I also want to remind you to look for the Veterans Raffle again in 2012!
This is just one of the many significant accomplishments for 2011. Add to this our progress in ending homelessness among veterans, the twenty-two higher education institutions who have signed on as Partners for Veteran Supportive Campuses, the first Missing in America Program at the State Veterans Cemetery, and the fact that we are currently designing the 4th State Veterans Home to be located in Walla Walla, and we’ve had quite a successful year.
To the Staff and Partners who make up the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs - Thank You – for yet another year of getting things done for veterans and their families. I look forward to continuing our work in 2012!
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