Vietnam Veterans of America

Pinellas County Chapter 522

“Five Double Deuce”

“Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”


Welcome Home

The entire membership of Chapter 522 is committed to helping veterans regardless of when they served, where they served, or their life histories. To that end, we have supported a number of special programs to assist veterans with their financial, medical, and personal needs. We feel that if we can make life better for this segment of the population, everyone will benefit in some way. Listed below are some of the programs that we currently support for local veterans:

1. We have formed a partnership with Pinellas Hope to provide assistance to homeless veterans in Pinellas County. We have donated clothing, personal items, and batteries. We have provided assistance in obtaining DD-214s, specialists who are able to provide assistance for medical care, and individual counseling. There are many challenges with this type of work, but the rewards far outweigh the obstacles that must be overcome.

2. Chapter 522 continues to maintain a strong working relationship with the Vet Center in St. Petersburg. The Vet Center has provided financial assistance and counseling to needy veterans for many years. We rely on the expertise of the counseling staff at the Vet Center to make determinations regarding financial assistance and providing donations when requested by their staff. In order to maintain individual privacy, all of these donations are basically “John Doe” types of assistance.

3. We have another program with the Vet Center to help veterans during Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. We provide financial assistance in the form of $25.00  gift certificates for food from local supermarkets for veterans and their families. Again, we rely on the staff at the Vet Center to identify and disburse these funds to the most needy veterans.

4. Chapter 522 has made several one-time donations to the VA Medical Centers at Bay Pines and in Tampa for special programs (e.g., the Fisher House, and for rehabilitation of handicapped veterans). Our members have also assisted in identifying resources to needy veterans for assistance with specialized equipment to assist veterans with disabilities.

5. Chapter 522 has made donations to support programs and special events for veterans who are incarcerated in Florida facilities.

Veterans Outreach Programs