Meeting the Most Urgent Needs of Veterans
“I am extremely grateful for Constance’s expertise. I appreciate her compassion, thoughtfulness and kindness." --Lillie Lindsey
"We thank God for NAAV and its supporters for helping us avoid foreclosure and homelessness. We are eternally grateful and blessed for their support and efforts.” -- Laura Nottingham
Sometimes, just being there for someone can make all the difference. Constance Burns experienced the power of being there during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2005.
Burns met a young man who had lost both legs in Afghanistan. When she asked if he wanted to talk, he broke down in tears. He said he did want to talk but felt that no one was interested in what he and his fellow injured veterans had experienced.
“Life is going on all around us,” he told Burns. “People are talking and laughing as if everything is ok. Well, it’s not ok for me.”
This is the moment Burns, a retired Defense Department employee, decided to do something for at least some of the two million veterans who have returned from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
She started the National Association of American Veterans Inc (CFC # 85065) as a vehicle to organize volunteers who could be there for veterans, helping them meet their needs, whether it be simply listening to them or helping in concrete ways.
NAAV’s more than 30 volunteers respond to more than 14,000 calls for help every year. “When people come to us,” Burns says, “it is as a last resort. We must make things happen for them.”
Here are some things that NAAV has made happen for veterans in just a few months in 2024:
- In Jamestown, TN, disabled Gulf War Army veteran Jeff Nottingham and his family were about to lose their home to foreclosure. Burns reached out to the bank and NAAV paid more than $2,000 so they could avoid foreclosure.
- In San Antonio, TX, disabled Army veteran Abel Perales and his family was about to have their electricity cut off in the middle of August during intense heat. NAAV paid off what they owed. “We are very thankful and grateful for your support and professional assistance,” Perales said.
- In Mississippi, the daughter of the late Army Sgt Major Louis Lindsey reached out to Burns and NAAV for help with getting information about her father’s headstone and acquiring his certificates of honorable service from the White House. “I am extremely grateful for Constance’s expertise,” said Lillie Lindsey. “I appreciate her compassion, thoughtfulness and kindness."
These stories demonstrate the wide range of help and expertise that NAAV’s volunteers provide. One key is that NAAV’s volunteers have more than 60 years of experience working inside the military or the federal government, so they know how to make things happen. They know who to call and what help is available.
Plus, because NAAV relies on volunteers, its overhead is tiny: just 1.8%. Donations directly help struggling veterans.
The Combined Federal Campaign is one of NAAV’s most important sources of support. “The generosity of federal employees and members of the military are what helps keep us going,” Burns states.
View the charity page:

"We thank God for NAAV and its supporters for helping us avoid foreclosure and homelessness. We are eternally grateful and blessed for their support and efforts.” -- Laura Nottingham
Sometimes, just being there for someone can make all the difference. Constance Burns experienced the power of being there during a visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in 2005.
Burns met a young man who had lost both legs in Afghanistan. When she asked if he wanted to talk, he broke down in tears. He said he did want to talk but felt that no one was interested in what he and his fellow injured veterans had experienced.
“Life is going on all around us,” he told Burns. “People are talking and laughing as if everything is ok. Well, it’s not ok for me.”
This is the moment Burns, a retired Defense Department employee, decided to do something for at least some of the two million veterans who have returned from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
She started the National Association of American Veterans Inc (CFC # 85065) as a vehicle to organize volunteers who could be there for veterans, helping them meet their needs, whether it be simply listening to them or helping in concrete ways.
NAAV’s more than 30 volunteers respond to more than 14,000 calls for help every year. “When people come to us,” Burns says, “it is as a last resort. We must make things happen for them.”
Here are some things that NAAV has made happen for veterans in just a few months in 2024:
- In Jamestown, TN, disabled Gulf War Army veteran Jeff Nottingham and his family were about to lose their home to foreclosure. Burns reached out to the bank and NAAV paid more than $2,000 so they could avoid foreclosure.
- In San Antonio, TX, disabled Army veteran Abel Perales and his family was about to have their electricity cut off in the middle of August during intense heat. NAAV paid off what they owed. “We are very thankful and grateful for your support and professional assistance,” Perales said.
- In Mississippi, the daughter of the late Army Sgt Major Louis Lindsey reached out to Burns and NAAV for help with getting information about her father’s headstone and acquiring his certificates of honorable service from the White House. “I am extremely grateful for Constance’s expertise,” said Lillie Lindsey. “I appreciate her compassion, thoughtfulness and kindness."
These stories demonstrate the wide range of help and expertise that NAAV’s volunteers provide. One key is that NAAV’s volunteers have more than 60 years of experience working inside the military or the federal government, so they know how to make things happen. They know who to call and what help is available.
Plus, because NAAV relies on volunteers, its overhead is tiny: just 1.8%. Donations directly help struggling veterans.
The Combined Federal Campaign is one of NAAV’s most important sources of support. “The generosity of federal employees and members of the military are what helps keep us going,” Burns states.
View the charity page: