AUSA receives $80K in pledges to support victims Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 05:08 AM By Mason W. Canales and Amanda Kim Stairrett
Killeen Daily Herald

The Association of the United States Army of Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter already received pledges of more than $80,000 to support the victims and their families of the Fort Hood shooting. Many other organizations are also collecting money.

"This is Central Texas, and we have the most supportive military communities in the world, so there was no doubts (about raising this money)," said Ron Taylor, Central Texas-Fort Hood Chapter AUSA president.

The amount of money coming in so quickly is a bit of a shocker though, Taylor admitted.

"We are quite taken back by it," he said. "We knew we would get quite a few donations but not quite this much."

A large number of the pledges have come from H-E-B, which donated about $60,000, Taylor said.

The money will go directly to helping the families, a memorial, and whatever Fort Hood needs it for to support these families, Taylor said.

AUSA is a nonprofit organization that supports the Army.

"The Central Texas community is strong and caring especially for our military," Taylor said.

USA Cares, another nonprofit organization that supports post-9/11 military families, also started a fund to help the Fort Hood shooting victims and their families.

USA Cares helps with basic needs during financial crisis, assists veterans wounded in combat and their families and tries to prevent private military home foreclosures, a news release stated.

The group, however, started the fund to assist the immediate families of those wounded and killed in the shooting. It will provide money for travel, housing and meals, the release stated.

"Our goal is to ensure that victims' family members do not have to worry about the financial hardships of travel at this time; we encourage them to visit our Web site for information on eligibility and benefits," USA Cares executive director Bill Nelson said in a news release.

Soldiers of Today and Yesterday, a nonprofit veterans' charity headquartered in Midland, has already started writing checks for shooting victims and their families.

The organization usually gives money to soldiers and their families to help with things such as rent and utilities, said Johnie Lee Qualls, Soldiers of Today and Yesterday president.

The group typically helps veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan after they return, but it is extending its reach to help Fort Hood's shooting victims.

The group is giving families money for food and clothes for today's memorial at Fort Hood, Qualls said.

Qualls met with victims' families Monday.

"Their hearts are broken, but their spirits are wonderful," he said.

Contact Mason W. Canales at mcanales@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7554. Contact Amanda Kim Stairrett at astair@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7547.

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A list of organization which the public can donate to:

Soldiers of Today and Yesterday go to www.styveteran.org for more info.

AUSA

The Central Texas- Fort Hood Chapter

Association of the U.S. Army

Attn: Community Response to 11/5

P.O. Box 10700

Killeen, Texas 76547-0700

Write Community Response to 11/5 on the memo line of your check.

USA Cares

For information on eligibility and benefits go to www.usacares.org

Contributions on behalf of Fort Hood Soldiers can also be made to:

Fisher House

Bldg 36015

Fisher Lane

Fort Hood, Texas 76544

The Chaplain's Fund

Chaplain's Fund Office

Bldg 44, 761st Tank Battalion Avenue

Fort Hood, Texas 76544-5000

Checks should be made payable to "CTOF" (Chapel's Tithes and Offerings Fund) with a note on the memo line stating "Nov. 5 Tragedy."

Donations can also be made to the USO at the following:

USO Fort Hood

Building # 1871, 50th St.

Fort Hood, Texas, 76544

Phone: (254) 768-2771 or go to www.uso.org