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“Serving those who have served” (About Disabled American Veterans 1). This is the mission statement of the DAV, or the Disabled American Veterans. The DAV helps thousands of disabled American veterans in their life after war. A poll taken in 2009 found out that there are 21,900,000 American veterans. 5,500,000 of the American veterans are disabled (American Veterans By the Number 1). Only 1,200,000 disabled American veterans are members of the DAV (About Disabled American Veterans 1). “Building Better Lives for America's Disabled Veterans” (DAV 1). The DAV was founded when our country was struggling with the effects of World War I. American veterans that came home from World War I started the DAV in 1920. A lot has changed in the last ninety-one years, but the wounded and sick from the wars still need the DAV's help in life cope with their disabilities (Wars &ump; Scars 1). In 1932 the DAV was deemed the official voice of the nation’s wartime disabled veterans (About Disabled American Veterans 1). The DAV have many missions in helping the veterans. Some mission statements are “Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs” (Mission Statement 1), “Extending DAV's mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local Chapter” (Mission Statement 1), and “Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widows and spouses, and their orphans before Congress, the White House, and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government”(Mission Statement 1). “Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically” (Mission Statement 1) and “Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military services and provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs and other agencies of government” (Mission Statement 1) are just a few more mission statements. The DAV has a large Board of Directors: Roberto Barrera from Texas as Chairman, Donald L. Samuals from Tennessee as Vice Chairman, Arthur H. Wilson from Kentucky as Secretary, Rodney S. Tucker from North Carolina as Treasurer, Lorren N. Davis from Idaho, Delphine Metcalf-Foster from California, and Jay E. Johnson from Texas all as Directors, and Wallace E. Tyson from North Carolina and Michael E. Dobmeier from North Dakota both as Advisors. On the Executive Committee, Wallace E. Tyson from North Carolina is National Commander, Larry A. Polzin from California is first Junior Vice Commander, Mary J. Bancivenga from New Jersey is second Junior Vice Commander, Joseph W. Johnston from Ohio is third Junior Vice Commander, Ron Voegeli from South Carolina is forth Junior Vice Commander, Michael E. Dobmeier from North Dakota isNational Judge Advocate, Dr. Charles W. Edwards, Jr. from Texas is National Chaplain, Roberto Barrera from Texas is Past National Commander, Roger H. Hamel from Massachusetts is NEC first District, Dennis L. Krulder from New York is NEC second District, Asiat A. Ali from Vermont is NEC third District, Joseph Harris from New Jersey is NEC forth District, James E. Uckele from Pennsylvania is NEC fifth District, Gregory N. Jones from Maryland is NEC sixth District, Chuck E. Heiney from Florida is NEC seventh District, Gerald E. Humphries from Mississippi is NEC eighth District, Rodney S. Tucker from North Carolina is NEC ninth District, David C. Martin from Michigan is NEC tenth District, Raymond Hutchinson from Ohio is NEC eleventh District, Charles Vandenplas from Wisconsin is NEC twelfth District, Steven D. Girdler from Kentucky is NEC thirteenth District, Joseph M. Litzinger from North Dakota is NEC fourteenth District, Kristine S. Childers from Nebraska is NEC fifteenth District, Delphine Metcalf-Foster from California is NEC sixteenth District, Jimmie Snider from Colorado is NEC seventeenth District, William C. Baumann from Nevada is NEC eighteenth District, Lorren N. Davis from Idaho is NEC nineteenth District, Jay E. Johnson from Texas is NEC twentieth District, and Irvin D. Eddy from Oklahoma is NEC twenty-first District (Structure of DAV 1). The DAV plans on doing two things for the disabled American veterans: to help get the veterans a voice on Capitol Hill, nationwide service programs, a transportation network, and unique rehabilitation; and to build better lives for America’s disabled veterans (Strategic Plan 1). More than two hundred thousand veterans and their families seek the services of the DAV every year, but those 200,000 only account for half of all the veterans eligible to be members of the DAV. The members of the DAV seek help in disability compensation, VA pension, death benefits, VA medical care, Social Security disability benefits, and veteran’ job programs. The people who help the member in these fields are experts trained in that particular field (Join DAV 1). These experts aren’t the only ones who can help disabled American veterans; anyone can by volunteering their time. Volunteers are needed a lot to help disabled American veterans in day to day life. They are needed in the DAV Transportation Network (TN) and the Department of Veteran Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) programs. In these programs volunteers can receive award at milestones due to their voluntary work from the Volunteer Recognition Program (Volunteer Incentives 1). Volunteering for the DAV can have many benefits for anyone who helps like scholarships for college, job experience, health care career possibilities, providing assistance to hospitalized veterans, completing high school volunteerism requirements, and having involvement in their community. Students can volunteer in many different activities including: Audiology and Speech Pathology, Extended Care, Information Technology, Laboratory Medicine, Medical Administration, Medical Illustration, Nursing, Nutrition and Food Service, Outpatient or Ambulatory Care Activities, Occupational Therapy, Patient Escort, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Research, or Social Work. By volunteering for the DAV that person meets one requirement to be eligible for the Jesse Brown scholarship. Some other requirements are that anyone volunteering must be twenty-one or younger, has volunteered a minimum of one hundred hours at a VA medical center during the previous calendar year, all hours must be credited to the Disabled American Veterans, the scholarship has to be used at a accredit able institution of higher learning; to include universities, colleges, community colleges, vocational schools, etc., the scholarship must be used in full prior to the recipient turning twenty-five or within six year of receiving the scholarship whichever is later, must be an immediate family of members of the DAV national organization, nominations for the scholarship may be submitted by the Voluntary Service Program Manager at the VA medical center, DAV Department Commander, or self-nomination must include an essay discussing “What volunteering at a VA medical center means to you.” (Essay should be seven hundred fifty words or less), nomination packets should include a nomination form, essay, and supporting documentation which you would like to have considered by the Selection Committee, and the applications for the 2010 Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship will be accepted between September 1, 2009, and February 26, 2010 (Jesse Brown Scholarship 1). The DAV has special events for disabled American veterans at different locations like: they are partnered with Golden Corral that Golden Corral gives veterans free meals on Military Appreciation Mondays, Major League Baseball DAV Days, DAV is teamed up with American Le Mans racecar driver Jason Carter, airshows by “Panchito” and “Special Delivery”, NFL made a military documentary “GI’s of the Gridiron”, and the Heartland Poker Tour supports the DAV (Special Events 1). Volunteering also is not the only way people can support the DAV, they can donate to the DAV. There are many ways to donate the Disabled American Veterans including: going online to www.dav.org and clicking on donate and filling out the appropriate information, by mailing their donation to Disabled American Veterans P.O. Box 14301 Cincinnati, Ohio 45250-0301, texting “DAV” to 90999 (the donation of five dollars will be added to the next phone bill), or by just sending a Memorial and Honorary gifts to the Disabled American Veterans (Donate 1). Because of the donations and volunteering the DAV receives no government funding and the veterans like that (Join DAV 1). With all these ways of helping disabled veterans the DAV helps thousands of veterans. Because of all of these ways the Disabled American Veterans help veterans the DAV is a great charitable organization. American veterans that got injured in war needed help in day to day life to cope with there disability. American veterans returning from war formed the Disabled American Veterans in 1920. The Disabled American Veterans have a Board of Directors and an Executive Committee. The Disabled American Veterans plans to provide health care, transportation, unique rehabilitation, and get the veterans a voice on Capital Hill. Both disabled American veterans and the families of the American veterans can receive help from the DAV. Volunteering is a big part of the funding of the DAV, and the volunteers can be nominated for the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship. The Disabled American Veterans is partners with many other places to provide special events for the veterans like at Golden Corral give veterans free meals on Military Appreciation Mondays. Another way the DAV gets funding is through donates from people. With all the help the DAV gives to veterans, the DAV makes day to day life easier for the veterans. Of the five million disabled veterans, the DAV provides help to the veterans.