Raising money for a veteran?

[Di Bari]

This may seem odd, but it has been something that has been driving me nuts in the back of my mind. I know a female veteran that served for 6 years, thought she found a good husband and had 2 kids. Great gal, and ended up, he wasn't such a good guy, and after they divorced ended up at home with 2 kids and raising them on her own without child support ( he stopped paying recently ).

She just started back at school using her GI bill, and is attempting to get on her feet for the future, and especially for the boys.



This may seem odd, but figured I would post and see if there was any interest. She needs a laptop for school, and unfortunately, I'm not in a position yet to be able to buy one (anonymous christmas present or something), and thought I might see if anyone on the car forum would be interested in pooling together to give to someone who desperately needs a break.






Disclaimer: No I am not sleeping with her, or anything of that nature. Just a mutual friend and have known her for a few years, and I grew up with just my mom raising me and my dad never helping out financially.



Feel free to tell me I'm crazy... Just one of those things that hit home, and wished I could do something about it.









(From 3si)

EDIT: I've been on here since 03, and many members know me. I used to be very active on the boards, but have been away finishing college and starting a new job, and haven't been involved as much with the community as I wish I was.

[beepbeep]

Great idea. Not a good time for many to try and share $, but hopefully something good will come of this.

[stealthee]

Matt it may seem odd, but maybe get someone to "sponsor" a ticket sale. Sell 3 number tickets off your state's daily number for $2 a piece and make the prize $1300. That leaves you with $700 to help her out.

I know selling 1000 tickets seems like a lot. But if you can get people to help you sell and take them to bars, etc they can go fast. You can give yourself a month or more to sell them too.

[Telionis]

A pos but functional laptop can be had for $200 easily. I got one just to keep at my parent's house so I could bust it out while watching TV or something. It's a P4 2.00 GHz and windows XP. Not fast by any stretch, but it'll do anything I need for school. Internet, word, excel, even ChemSketch or PERL, etc. No problem. It certainly won't play modern games or HD video, but who cares for a school notebook?

Check this out, it is almost exactly what I got. Dell Latitudes are robust old beasts, not like the flaky heat sensitive Inspirons.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-P4m-Laptop-...item588a272c2a

Start a fund drive on 3Si and here.

[Di Bari]

Thanks a bunch for the suggestions guys!

[DrkZide]

Matt it may seem odd, but maybe get someone to "sponsor" a ticket sale. Sell 3 number tickets off your state's daily number for $2 a piece and make the prize $1300. That leaves you with $700 to help her out.

I know selling 1000 tickets seems like a lot. But if you can get people to help you sell and take them to bars, etc they can go fast. You can give yourself a month or more to sell them too.

Isn't that Racketeering?

[stealthee]

I honestly dont know. Its benefiting something. I sold tickets to benefit a softball team I ran. This is really no different. A prize is being given to the winner, and the "profit" money is going to a good cause.

[Alex3000gt]

I can tell you from first hand experience that waiting on VA to get off their asses with respect to college funding is a long and grueling process. The phone number is always busy, they are only open four days a week, and when you finally get ahold of someone - you're told different information every time. I had to send in various copies of forms multiple times because they were "lost" or "not received". After sending in one form, you'd get a letter two months later that they needed it again. I actually didn't receive my financial aid until two months after graduation... gee thanks!

If this is the same process they treat vets claiming mental or physical disability, it's no wonder so many end up on the streets. By the time the money comes you've already been kicked out.

[91stealthrt2]

No offense but I am kind of confused as to why she needs people to help her? Just because the baby's dad left the picture? What about welfare programs/ food stamps etc.

She must have been making pretty decent money during those 6 years, and now is going to get most of her schooling paid for.

[Telionis]

I can tell you from first hand experience that waiting on VA to get off their asses with respect to college funding is a long and grueling process.

To true.

My ex-roommate served a tour in Iraq at Anaconda (Balad AFB), returned at the end of 2006 and hasn't had a real job since November 2008. (He's applied to at least thirty places, never got anything but a part time fast-food job, but even they are downsizing and all of them kept cutting his hours to below 15/wk. His employment wasn't enough for them to not repossess his car). Probably a year ago he applied to get college funding and support through GI bill, and he still hasn't heard back from them. Sh-t, he tried to move to active duty Army (from Reserves) and asked to be deployed and even they haven't found him a position. He even applied to Blackwater, or whatever they're called now (Weyland-Yutani?), and even they didn't call him back.

Isn't that Racketeering?

No. Racketeering is a type of fraud or extortion. The most well known is the protection racket, in which you force "customers" to pay you "protection money", which is really just a fee to keep you from bashing up their place or killing them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racketeering

It may be considered fraud though, if you don't disclose where the profit is going and what the odds of winning are. It may also be considered gambling, which may be banned in your area. who knows what crazy nonsensical laws you could be breaking by doing so without permission...