Lake County organization brings attention to veterans in need with RuckUp23 march
Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation in Grayslake wants your help to send a clear message to the men and women who have served our country: There is help if you need it.
According to the foundation, 22 veterans take their own life every day due to hardships like homelessness, joblessness, PTSD, addictions and other mental health issues.
Paul Baffico, president and founder of Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation, says enough is enough. And the organization, which is run by veterans who want to help their own, is a place those in need can go for support and a helping hand.
"We are a critically needed agency for the service member population because we take care of service members of any discharge status free and confidentially," Baffico said in an email.
"The VA (Lovell) catches less than 50% of those qualified for benefits for many reasons. Many service members, upon discharge, do not trust or want to have the government take care of them. As a combat Vietnam vet, I didn't go myself until I was 60 because I lost my faith in the government 40 years before."
To aid in their programs, the organization is holding its seventh annual RuckUp23 march. You can participate in two ways: a physical march of 22K (about 14 miles) Sept. 16 in Lake Villa, or a virtual march that can be done anywhere, anytime through Sept. 22.
This is the foundation's signature event, so donations will be taken through Dec. 31.
For information or to register for RuckUp23, call (847) 986-4622 or email ruckup@lcvetsfoundation.org.
Baffico talks more about the organization and the upcoming fundraiser.
Q: What is the Lake County Veterans and Family Services?
A: Vision: to provide 100% free and confidential care to veterans, service members and their families through a network of veteran volunteers, veteran peer support specialists and critical community providers.
Mission: We connect veterans and service members with each other and with the resources and benefits they earned and deserve, free and confidentially, regardless of discharge status.
All staff are combat veterans of multiple wars, each is in a stage of their own recovery and is a professionally trained and certified veteran peer specialist. We represent "help from those who've been there."
Q: How many people do you serve each year?
A: Last year we served 7,583 (some repeats) and gave away $70,759 in contributions for food, shelter and well-being.
Q: What are some of the programs you offer?
A: Emergency financial aid for food, housing, homelessness crises, VA benefits navigation, financial counseling, mental health well-being, addictions, MST, TBI, grief, family crisis, deployment issues (going and coming), archery, equine therapy, fishing, painting groups, TV, wireless, friendly confines, and anything a service member needs help addressing.
Q: Where do the majority of your funds come from to support your work?
A: All of our funding is from the private sector. We will not accept government funding from any level of governance.
Q: Tell us about the upcoming RuckUp23.
A: RuckUp23 takes place Saturday, Sept. 16. Walk-up registration ends at 8:30 a.m., followed by the march at 9 a.m. This will take place at Daisy's Artish Café, 216 N. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 1, Lake Villa. Or take part virtually between now and Sept. 22.
The event is to call public attention to the veteran/service member suicide crisis that is pegged at 22 deaths per day.
The Ruck March is for 22 kilometers, carrying 22 pounds to symbolize the weight of the grief of those affected by a suicide. (Aside: 22 per day is the established number, but new research has discovered it is more like 42 per day because of coroner reports, overdose misdiagnosis and more.)
The cost is $44 for adult participants, $22 for military/veteran participants who agree to accept the mission to raise at least $220, and $17 for anyone younger than 17.
Once your registration is complete, you will receive an email labeled "Claim Your Fundraising Page," which will be available on Classy's website. This is an online fundraising platform to help manage your fundraising efforts.
Participants are also invited to fundraise using social media, emailing friends and family, or word-of-mouth.
For details visit, lcvetsfoundation.org.
Q: How can readers help your organization if they can't participate in this event?
A: Please donate to our foundation so we can keep taking care of those who have served all of us.
Q: What else would you like readers to know?
A: We are a 501c3 foundation, a Charity Navigator Premium member awardee and a Platinum Guidestar nonprofit. All donations are 100% tax deductible. We have been in existence for 10 years serving Lake, McHenry and southern Kenosha counties, as well as our partner Veterans Path to Hope.
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RuckUp23
What: A 22K march sponsored by the Lake County Veterans and Family Services Foundation in Grayslake
When: Walk-up registration ends at 8:30 a.m., followed by the march at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16. Or take part virtually between now and Sept. 22.
Where: Daisy's Artish Café, 216 N. Milwaukee Ave., Suite 1, Lake Villa
Cost: $44 for adults, $22 for military/veterans who agree to raise at least $220, and $17 for anyone younger than 17
Register: lcvetsfoundation.org