Shelton resident Al Meadows was recently named the “Person of the Year” by the state chapter of the American Veterans service foundation (AMVETS).
Meadows founded and runs “Operation Gift Cards,” which provides wounded veterans and their families with gift certificates and care packages.
AMVETS gave Meadows a special achievement award, in addition to the person of the year award, for his work with Operation Gift Cards at its annual state convention.
“What he stands for is what a lot of your military organizations today, especially AMVETS, stand for,” Dick Bonneau, an AMVETS national committee-member said of the award.
“He’s just doing a fantastic job,” Bonneau said. “We felt he deserved it more than anyone.”
Bonneau said AMVETS has recently increased its donations to Operation Gift Cards to about $6,000 a year.
Previously, the group would donate about $500 a couple times a year, Bonneau said.
Meadows accepted the award on behalf of the 129 representatives of the 46 cosponsors of Operation Gift Cards who participate in monthly and bi-monthly visits to wounded troops.
Since October 2005, the Operation Gift Cards 59 visits have presented 8,930 Thank You Kits which contained $178,600 in military department store gift certificates to our wounded troops, Meadows said.
An additional $97,200 in other gift certificates and special group product donations (Girl Scout cookies, corporate gift certificates etc.) have been delivered to the Soldier Family Assistance Center, the Fisher Houses, the Mologne House, the Navy Lodge, the Red Cross, and the Bethesda Casualty Affairs Office, along with over $50,000 worth items on the “wish list” (listed on the right) for both the wounded troops and their families.
On the last visit, representatives from the Disabled American Veterans, the AMVETS (American Veterans), the American Legion, and employees of the Sikorsky Corporation visited wounded soldiers and personally thanked them for their service to their country and for their sacrifice for freedom.
Each patient was presented with three “Thank You” kits containing a custom-designed thank you card with a picture of the cosponsor’s members, a $20 gift certificate for the military store ($60 total in gift certificates), and, if appropriate, flyers about programs the cosponsor has developed that may be of interest to the patients.
Forty-six units and individuals have cosponsored Operation Gift Cards.
The program goal is to have a different group of cosponsors collectively purchase, each month, between $3,000 and $4,000 in gift certificates in order to present all visited wounded patients in Walter Reed and Bethesda hospitals with at least three “Thank You” kits containing with at least $60 in gift certificates.
To participate in Operation Gift Cards or to make a corporate or personal donation, contact Al Meadows (203) 929‑3357 (e‑mail: al.meadows@snet.net. Web site: ctveterans.org