OPERATION K.A.V.I.C. HISTORY
After receiving quite a few sponsorship requests from local businesses to support their charities, Bryan Keller, our CEO got to thinking. Keller Logistics Group’s growth over the past few years has put us in a position to be able to choose a corporate philanthropy to support like many major corporations.
While thinking about possible charities, Bryan determined Veterans would be our focus, for a few reasons:
To better understand that need within the Veteran community we met with the Defiance County Veterans Services team. They were very excited about our new initiative and told some interesting stories. One theme we heard over and over was that there are gaps in the benefits provided to our veterans. For example, one veteran had a reoccurring dental infection. His benefits would pay for the antibiotics to get rid of the infection but would not pay to have the tooth removed, which was the best course of action.Most of us feel that the Veteran community is under-served. They, along with their families, have sacrificed so much. There are some that are one unexpected bill or a few missed hours at work away from experiencing financial crisis.
We believed we could make a difference in our community. Keller Logistics Group’s purpose is to enrich as many lives as possible. We believe that a responsible corporation gives back to its community.
So, we decided to create our own fund that would help fill the gaps in veterans’ benefits. We partnered with Ravens Care of Defiance to handle the finances of the fund, which is a 501 (c) 3, giving our donors a tax advantage. The Veteran’s Office qualifies the individual based on parameters already in place to receive assistance through the VA while also allowing the veteran to maintain confidentiality.
We had the idea, the purpose, and had employees chose a name, next up how to raise money to support Operation K.A.V.I.C. We decided to host a free veterans and their family appreciation luncheon and provided business partners and local businesses the opportunity to sponsor the event. With overwhelming support from the community, we raised over $36,000 that first year!
Since then, the support for Operation K.A.V.I.C. continues to grow, along with the awareness in the veteran communities.
