Veterans Need Heat While Shopping For Free
Donation protected
It's COLD and the 18,000 sq ft Veterans Thrift Store Needs a Heating unit. With your help, Veterans in Need can come in out of the cold and SHOP FOR FREE.
In 1975 Kevin Oxley, went to apply for the draft...walking into the draft board office only to find the draft had ended 3 days prior. That moment he swore to himself he would one day Serve those who Served!
While caring for his aging mother in Los Angeles he'd had free time on his hands; he started volunteering at the local VA hospital driving Veterans to various clinics for their appointments. Getting to know them better they would tell Kevin about broken things around their homes and he would go and fix them at no charge. That's when he became known as the ‘Free Handyman for Disabled Veterans’ and the idea was born!
Kevin returned to Spokane in 2015 bringing with him extensive business and construction knowhow he has since built an organization that is fulfilling his vision to Serve those who Served and are Serving.
His ambitions began offering local disabled Veterans Free handyman services doing the work himself and connecting volunteers with disabled Veterans to offer free minor home repairs. 2015 he named this non-profit ‘Free Handyman Services for Disabled Veterans’ which has completed almost 200 jobs for our local disabled Veterans.
The program was so successful it required a separate funding source, this prompted Kevin to open the flagship ‘Veteran’s Thrift Store’ where Veterans in Need Shop for Free (February 2017), an 18000 sq. ft. former grocery store. The generous & affordable long term lease for the store overcame the fact that the building was decades old, in disrepair and had NO HEAT or A/C. The store is open 7 days a week, run by himself, a very dedicated skeleton crew and a handful of volunteers... Kevin has not taken a day off in 5 years!
This has not deterred him from accomplishing his mission to create a space where ALL Veterans in Need shop for free for ANY & ALL of Life’s Essentials, including widows of Veterans, where there is a free food bank, free haircuts for Veterans; and an all-around safe place for our Vets. Due to the lack of inside temperature control it's practically uninhabitable in the dead of Winter and Summer. It’s incredibly difficult to retain volunteers & customers alike in this environment. Hence, we are reaching out to you to ask for your help as we mount a campaign to purchase a commercial heating & A/C system for the store.
There is no doubt that a new heating system, which we hope to have installed by November of this year, will have a positive impact on all facets of the operation. A more comfortable shopping experience will bring in more customers, who will remain in the store longer and subsequently bring in additional income to fund the current programs and hopefully allow us to offer more in the future. In addition, the improved atmosphere will encourage an increase in the number of volunteers and allow them to remain at the store for longer periods of time, keeping the overhead down.
The stores (he opened a second store this year), have also become a much-needed resource for the community at large. A high unemployment rate coupled with the ravages of the economy created a need in our community that the stores have been able to fill; offering new & used household goods, clothing, tools and so much more at exceptionally low prices. The Veteran’s Thrift Stores of Spokane have become a primary shopping site to many.
Some information & accomplishments to date:
*Given away over 40 cars to Veterans in need of one.
*Furnished apartments for well over 40 homeless Veterans who have gotten off
the streets though various Homeless Veteran Programs.
*Opened Free foodbanks (both stores) for Veterans and their families.
*Started the 'Free Haircuts' for Veteran's program.
*We are located next to the Spokane VA Hospital and provide services for their short term, long term, outpatient clinics and patients.
*Our Volunteer Program coordinates people who want to help with free handyman jobs, help in the Stores and/or general things that may make a Veterans life easier.
*To Summarize, we have helped well over 1,000 Disabled Veterans, Veterans in Need, and Widows of Veterans in the last 5 years and we'd like to continue doing so; and with your help we can!
We are humbly asking for your assistance. It will take an estimated $85,000 to install the commercial heating & A/C system.
We are excited about this fundraising challenge and thinking ahead at even greater opportunities. The Veteran’s Thrift Stores of Spokane & The Free Handyman for Disabled Vets family are grateful for the generosity of the GoFundMe community, and hope that these programs which assist those who served and are serving will inspire contributions of all sizes.
Currently the company is a WA state non-profit and is pending a federal Non-profit status (501c3).
We SINCERELY thank you in advance for your support and promise to keep you updated as the projects move forward.
Please like our FB page to be kept informed about all that we're doing and all whom we're helping.
Our website soon to be updated thanks for your patience
MEET KEVIN! (Here he's holding a very cool Tonka Fire Truck he's just about to give to a local little boy having life saving surgery.
Kevin has an incredible work ethic! He's passionate about what he's doing and committed to the promise he made to himself so many years ago! The small crew that surrounds him helping run the big ships are genuinely dedicated to him and his mission and look forward to many more years to come serving our local Veteran community.
Building a Wheelchair ramp
Giving a local disabled veteran in need a cart full of life's essentials
Meet Joe! A Vietnam Vet who volunteers with us. Here he is donating a new children's wheelchair, that was given to us, to the local Shriner's Children's hospital. Thanks Joe!!!
Giving a homeless Veteran a sleeping bag and other items to keep him warm and safe.
Giving local Veterans some needed medical equipment
Giving cars to local Veterans in need, that were generously donated to us
More needed essentials given to an active duty Veteran
Terri, an Air Force Veteran lost everything in an RV accident. We stocked her back up
This is Mr. R...He's an educator at a rural school in WA and a regular customer. He loves to teach by getting the students interested in learning and having fun with them. We gave him a cart full of educational items to take back.
We gave Helen, a homeless vet a cart full of warm clothes and other necessities
We gave Pat, an Army Veteran, some stuff to help his son Rick, a disabled Army Veteran having difficulties with some recent surgery.. Thanks for looking after your son Pat and good luck with your recovery Rick.
Free haircut's for Veteran's program
Giving away 2 huge carts of blankets, coats and hats to 2 local Homeless shelters
We THANK YOU ALL for your Service!
In 1975 Kevin Oxley, went to apply for the draft...walking into the draft board office only to find the draft had ended 3 days prior. That moment he swore to himself he would one day Serve those who Served!
While caring for his aging mother in Los Angeles he'd had free time on his hands; he started volunteering at the local VA hospital driving Veterans to various clinics for their appointments. Getting to know them better they would tell Kevin about broken things around their homes and he would go and fix them at no charge. That's when he became known as the ‘Free Handyman for Disabled Veterans’ and the idea was born!
Kevin returned to Spokane in 2015 bringing with him extensive business and construction knowhow he has since built an organization that is fulfilling his vision to Serve those who Served and are Serving.
His ambitions began offering local disabled Veterans Free handyman services doing the work himself and connecting volunteers with disabled Veterans to offer free minor home repairs. 2015 he named this non-profit ‘Free Handyman Services for Disabled Veterans’ which has completed almost 200 jobs for our local disabled Veterans.
The program was so successful it required a separate funding source, this prompted Kevin to open the flagship ‘Veteran’s Thrift Store’ where Veterans in Need Shop for Free (February 2017), an 18000 sq. ft. former grocery store. The generous & affordable long term lease for the store overcame the fact that the building was decades old, in disrepair and had NO HEAT or A/C. The store is open 7 days a week, run by himself, a very dedicated skeleton crew and a handful of volunteers... Kevin has not taken a day off in 5 years!
This has not deterred him from accomplishing his mission to create a space where ALL Veterans in Need shop for free for ANY & ALL of Life’s Essentials, including widows of Veterans, where there is a free food bank, free haircuts for Veterans; and an all-around safe place for our Vets. Due to the lack of inside temperature control it's practically uninhabitable in the dead of Winter and Summer. It’s incredibly difficult to retain volunteers & customers alike in this environment. Hence, we are reaching out to you to ask for your help as we mount a campaign to purchase a commercial heating & A/C system for the store.
There is no doubt that a new heating system, which we hope to have installed by November of this year, will have a positive impact on all facets of the operation. A more comfortable shopping experience will bring in more customers, who will remain in the store longer and subsequently bring in additional income to fund the current programs and hopefully allow us to offer more in the future. In addition, the improved atmosphere will encourage an increase in the number of volunteers and allow them to remain at the store for longer periods of time, keeping the overhead down.
The stores (he opened a second store this year), have also become a much-needed resource for the community at large. A high unemployment rate coupled with the ravages of the economy created a need in our community that the stores have been able to fill; offering new & used household goods, clothing, tools and so much more at exceptionally low prices. The Veteran’s Thrift Stores of Spokane have become a primary shopping site to many.
Some information & accomplishments to date:
*Given away over 40 cars to Veterans in need of one.
*Furnished apartments for well over 40 homeless Veterans who have gotten off
the streets though various Homeless Veteran Programs.
*Opened Free foodbanks (both stores) for Veterans and their families.
*Started the 'Free Haircuts' for Veteran's program.
*We are located next to the Spokane VA Hospital and provide services for their short term, long term, outpatient clinics and patients.
*Our Volunteer Program coordinates people who want to help with free handyman jobs, help in the Stores and/or general things that may make a Veterans life easier.
*To Summarize, we have helped well over 1,000 Disabled Veterans, Veterans in Need, and Widows of Veterans in the last 5 years and we'd like to continue doing so; and with your help we can!
We are humbly asking for your assistance. It will take an estimated $85,000 to install the commercial heating & A/C system.
We are excited about this fundraising challenge and thinking ahead at even greater opportunities. The Veteran’s Thrift Stores of Spokane & The Free Handyman for Disabled Vets family are grateful for the generosity of the GoFundMe community, and hope that these programs which assist those who served and are serving will inspire contributions of all sizes.
Currently the company is a WA state non-profit and is pending a federal Non-profit status (501c3).
We SINCERELY thank you in advance for your support and promise to keep you updated as the projects move forward.
Please like our FB page to be kept informed about all that we're doing and all whom we're helping.
Our website soon to be updated thanks for your patience
MEET KEVIN! (Here he's holding a very cool Tonka Fire Truck he's just about to give to a local little boy having life saving surgery.
Kevin has an incredible work ethic! He's passionate about what he's doing and committed to the promise he made to himself so many years ago! The small crew that surrounds him helping run the big ships are genuinely dedicated to him and his mission and look forward to many more years to come serving our local Veteran community.
Building a Wheelchair ramp
Giving a local disabled veteran in need a cart full of life's essentials
Meet Joe! A Vietnam Vet who volunteers with us. Here he is donating a new children's wheelchair, that was given to us, to the local Shriner's Children's hospital. Thanks Joe!!!
Giving a homeless Veteran a sleeping bag and other items to keep him warm and safe.
Giving local Veterans some needed medical equipment
Giving cars to local Veterans in need, that were generously donated to us
More needed essentials given to an active duty Veteran
Terri, an Air Force Veteran lost everything in an RV accident. We stocked her back up
This is Mr. R...He's an educator at a rural school in WA and a regular customer. He loves to teach by getting the students interested in learning and having fun with them. We gave him a cart full of educational items to take back.
We gave Helen, a homeless vet a cart full of warm clothes and other necessities
We gave Pat, an Army Veteran, some stuff to help his son Rick, a disabled Army Veteran having difficulties with some recent surgery.. Thanks for looking after your son Pat and good luck with your recovery Rick.
Free haircut's for Veteran's program
Giving away 2 huge carts of blankets, coats and hats to 2 local Homeless shelters
We THANK YOU ALL for your Service!
Organizer and beneficiary
Corrie Jo Anderson
Organizer
Spokane, WA
Veterans Thrift Store
Beneficiary
