Truckers ‘answer the call’ to help veterans
The generosity of OOIDA members is helping Truckers For Troops continue its mission of supporting veterans and veterans organizations.
Established by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association in 2007, the program raises funds to assist veterans organizations, as well as to provide care packages for active-duty military stationed abroad. Since its inception, Truckers For Troops’ fundraising efforts have generated over $800,000.
One of the organizations Truckers For Troops regularly supports is the Veterans Community Project. The Kansas City, Mo.-based group’s mission is to fight homelessness among veterans by providing former military members with “a home of their own and individualized, wraparound support services that not only help get them back on their feet but ensure they continue standing.”
On Thursday, Sept. 25, Truckers For Troops paid a visit to the VCP Village in Longmont, Colo., bringing along a donation of 250 backpacks – 125 filled with “back to work” supplies and the other 125 full of winter supplies – as well as a check for $10,000.
OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh was on hand to present VCP with the donation. Pugh gave a tip of the cap to the Association’s members, who he said make the work of Truckers For Troops possible.
“Their generous donations are what make this happen,” Pugh said. “Truckers are always willing to answer the call.”
The donation to the Colorado site is the most recent example of the group’s efforts to support veterans. In 2024, Truckers For Troops visited two other VCP locations, making $10,000 donations to the villages in St. Louis and Sioux Falls, S.D. Those stops also included a delivery of backpacks stocked with essential supplies.
“It is always such a wonderful experience to visit any VCP location,” Pugh said. “The staff is always so happy and excited to receive us and are so dedicated to the mission. I wish everyone could see and experience what the VCP really does.”
Norita Taylor, OOIDA’s director of public relations, said that while each of the visits to the different locations has been rewarding, the visit to the Longmont location was “very special.”
“There were a couple of residents who chose to join us on our tour of the facility. One of them gifted us a walking stick he made by hand from a branch he found while hiking nearby,” Taylor said. “We always learn a great deal on these trips and look forward to watching the VCP grow in their locations.” LL