About a dozen area veterans have benefited from the Sedona Area Veteran & Community Outreach’s Veteran Assistance Fund since it launched two years ago.
The fund provides a one-time gift of up to $500 to veterans or widows of veterans residing in Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek or the jurisdiction of the Sedona Fire District to help with temporary financial burdens caused by unforeseen or exceptional circumstances, such as being between jobs.
“General living expenses is what it’s used for mainly,” SAVCO Director Don Hallford said. “We have one person, he has a van that has been modified so that he can get around. And he had a big repair bill that we were able to help me with also. I have a neighbor’s yard [that] got damaged through the winter storms and we were able to work with the Rotary Club [and] between both organizations and our money, we were able to clean his place up and make it look presentable again.”
Paying utility bills has been the most common usage of the fund, Hallford said, often for health reasons.
“A couple of the veterans that we have helped, they’re not in the best of health,” Hallford said. “They probably need the house a little warmer or a little colder longer, and so it runs their bills up higher.”
In these situations, SAVCO will also direct veterans in need to Arizona Public Service’s assistance programs that are available to them. APS will provide a 35% discount on energy bills to those that have “a life-threatening illness or use critical medical equipment that requires electricity,” and works with community action programs to provide lower energy costs to those with low incomes.
Donations and a grant from the city of Sedona are SAVCO’s main funding sources. Last year, the organization received $1,800 through Sedona’s Small Grants Program.
“The money was allocated to support the Veterans Day memorial program that the organization runs,” city communications manager Lauren Browne said. “They have applied again for funding this year through the Small Grants Program, but the funding amounts are currently under review by the Small Grants Work Group. The exact amount they will be recommended hasn’t been determined and then would need to also be approved by city council like in years past.”
At their June meeting, SAVCO will be making $1,000 donations to Sedona Meals on Wheels, Sedona Composite Mountain Biking Club, the Red Rock Trail Fund, the Verde Valley Sanctuary and the Sedona Police Cadets. Last month, the group also donated $500 to Joyce Ziebarth of the Red Rock Quilters for her Quilts of Valor program, which presents those touched by war with comforting quilts.
“We have budgeted a total of $10,000 towards community outreach for the 2023 fiscal year,” SAVCO Secretary Karen Barrow said. “The rest will be given out in December to other organizations that are selected by the membership.”
“We limit our outreach to the greater Sedona area, so … we try to keep the money close to home,” Hallford said. “If anyone is in need of assistance or knows somebody that might need assistance, please contact me.”
Hallford can be reached at (385) 333-6544 or at savco89a@gmail.com. Applications or donations for the program can be found online at www.savco.org.
