Have you ever thought of a great idea, only to do nothing about it? Why not? Today, Toby Mathis of Anderson Business Advisors talks to David Rafus of 1 Veteran Foundation, a non-profit group in southern Arizona that helps qualified veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) get a service dog for support.
Highlights/Topics:
How did 1 Veteran Foundation develop? David’s bright idea when sitting on the couch and watching television; bought the name, but not enough money to do anything else
Why not start it then...
Have you ever thought of a great idea, only to do nothing about it? Why not? Today, Toby Mathis of Anderson Business Advisors talks to David Rafus of 1 Veteran Foundation, a non-profit group in southern Arizona that helps qualified veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) get a service dog for support.
Highlights/Topics:
- How did 1 Veteran Foundation develop? David’s bright idea when sitting on the couch and watching television; bought the name, but not enough money to do anything else
- Why not start it then? It takes money to start a non-profit organization; IRS requires about $400 to file for 501(c)(3) status
- How did one friend help start 1 Veteran Foundation? Donated $400 for bookkeeper to file 501(c)(3) application
- How do many veterans deal with trauma and stress after serving in the military? More veterans kill themselves per year than die in combat
- How do service dogs (a.k.a. teammates) support veterans? David’s service dog, Manefa, helps him deal with nightmares, crowd control, and other issues related to PTSD
- Why there’s an epidemic of suicide among veterans? Military tries to alleviate transition by finding jobs, but not mental health help; pride prevents them from asking for help
- Are service dogs an all-in-one fix? No, but an extra life-saving tool to deal with PTSD
- What does it cost to train a PTSD service dog? About $30,000 to do basic obedience training and achieve Service Dog Certification
- What are service dog requirements? Healthy rescue dogs, usually 1-3 years old, at least 40 pounds, consider bond over breed, and complete doggie boot camp
- How long does it take to find and train each service dog? About 300 hours
- How do veterans request a service dog from 1 Veteran Foundation? Organization’s Website describes process to request a service dog
- Why is there a stigma with PTSD? People fear what they don’t understand
- Why do veterans name their service dog after a trauma? Turns negative into positive experience to provide comfort and take away pain to make progress against PTSD
- Want to sponsor a veteran who needs a service dog? Donate to 1 Veteran Foundation
Resources
David Rafus
1 Veteran Foundation
Charities and Non-Profit Organizations
Form 1023
Toby Mathis
Anderson Advisors
Anderson Advisors Tax and Asset Protection Event
Anderson Advisors on YouTube
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