Help Restore Counseling for MV War Veterans

U.S. Army (ret), MSG John A Cianci , Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veteran, State of Rhode Island, Department Commander, Italian American War Veterans of US, https://italianamericanwarveteran.org/

On Saturday, April 26, 2025, I am traveling via car (Rhode Island, to ferry, to Martha's Vineyard) to present a check from the Italian American War Veterans of US for our brothers and sisters living on Martha's Vineyard for a program impacting their quality of life that has been cut.

Veterans are partnering together to make it happen and accomplish the mission.

ITAM will match the first $500 donations, for 100 percent of the GoFundMe being donated for one purpose, the counseling in-person program, cut by the VA.

Details of the cause from the MV Times:

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs decided in March it would not be renewing a roughly $80,000 contract with Martha’s Vineyard Community Services as part of a nationwide elimination of contracts it deemed “non-mission-critical or duplicative.” The funding cut hit the Vineyard nonprofit’s “Readjustment Counseling for War Veterans” program, which had provided one-on-one and group counseling for veterans returning from war since the 1980s.

But the team running the program was determined to keep the program running; Community Services officials were even considering pulling funds from other parts of the nonprofit’s operations.

To highlight the fundraising effort, Community Services will be holding a benefit concert at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post in Oak Bluffs on Saturday, April 26, from 4 to 9 pm. The event will feature performers Rose Guerin, Rick Padilla, Missis Biskis, Jodie Treloar-Sampson, and DJ D-Dub. A color guard will also be on hand for the event.

Donations can also be mailed to ITAM, 18 Winchester Ave, N. Smithfield, RI 02896. Please note in remarks MV Program.