HomeServe fundraises for Veterans Rebuilding Life

NORWALK, CONNECTICUT MAY 24TH, 2023 From left is Kelly LaFortune of HomeServe USA, and Dre Popow of Veterans Rebuilding Life, at the 2023 fundraiser held in Norwalk, Connecticut. Above left is Kelly LaFortune, associate account manager of HomeServe USA, standing with Dre Popow, executive director of Veterans Rebuilding Life, seen here at the 2023 fundraiser held in Norwalk, Connecticut. HomeServe USA, a Connecticut-based company that specializes in providing comprehensive home repair and maintenance services, launched...

Temple Emmanu-El supports Veterans Rebuilding Life

1 East 65th Street, NYC | May 25th, 2023 Temple Emanu-El has been serving the New York City community for over 170 years. One of their most inspiring initiatives is the Youth Philanthropy Council, which empowers teens to make a positive impact on their community through charitable giving. Throughout the year, members learn about the humanitarian missions of different nonprofits, and engage in lively discussions to identify organizations that align with their values. Veterans Rebuilding...

A few words from the front lines

Ukraine Crisis Response Safe Passage for Ukraine Heather Black is the Chief Program and Technology Officer for VRL's mission in Ukraine. Heather traveled to Romania to work in a refugee center, and has been helping displaced families since March of 2022. NEXT MISSION My first contact with the Brahina family was with 10 year-old Kateryna. She used almost all of the English words she knew in our first conversation. "Cat, me, see?" And "Zaporizhzhia." At...

NYC Event Highlights

Annual Fundraising Event | 267 5th Avenue | Manhattan, NY VRL's fundraising event was held at the Midtown Loft & Terrace located in midtown Manhattan, NY. The venues cocktail lounge located on the rooftop terrace, provided attending guests with a stunning night sky view of the Empire State building, while enjoying premium cocktails from the open bar. This year's event proved to be VRL's most successful fundraiser to-date, thanks to an overwhelming turnout from longtime...

Brooklyn Marine Corps Event

6TH COMMUNICATION BATTALION | ALPHA COMPANY FLOYD BENETT FIELD | BROOKLYN, NYC The Marines of 6th Communication Battalion honored America's first casualties in the Global War on Terror. during the 100th Anniversary of the Marine Corps Reserve, in Brooklyn, NY. The 6th Communication Battalion Marines: Sgt. Major Michael Curtin, and Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Garvey - died saving the lives of others on September 11th, 2001, as members of the New York City Police, and Fire...

VRL Columbus Circle Event

Hosted by: Emerge 212 | Columbus Circle, Manhattan, NY On the night of February the 8th Veterans Rebuilding Life held their first event of the new year, hosted by Emerge212,  located at three Columbus Circle in midtown Manhattan. The sold-out event took place on the 15th floor of the steel tower, providing attending guests with a stunning view of the city skyline at night. As with all VRL events, attending guests represented New York City's...

Tunnel to Towers Event

Annual 5K Fundraising Event | Ground Zero | New York City On September 11th, 2001, firefighters on their way to ground–zero were stopped by police from entering the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, concerned it might be attacked, trapping them inside. Many abandoned their vehicles, strapped their gear on their backs, and ran over three miles through the tunnel to the twin towers, where they died, saving others. Among them was Gunnery Sergeant Matthew Garvey, a New...

Belgian Beer Garden Event

Event Hosted by the Dubliner | Sponsored by the Bayonne Bombers The 13th Annual Belgian Beer Night was held at the The Dubliner – Hoboken New Jersey's largest rooftop bar, in-support of Veterans Rebuilding Life! The fundraising event was organized and executed by official VRL sponsors: The Bayonne Bombers Rugby Club. Comprised of over 60 players from 12 different nations, the Bayonne Bombers compete in Division II Rugby, and belong to the Empire State Rugby Football Union. The Rugby...

Battery Gardens Event

VRL Spring Fundraising Event | Battery Gardens | Manhattan, NY VRL supporters gathered in downtown Manhattan, at the award-winning Battery Gardens Waterfront Restaurant, to celebrate the launch of the 5 Points Initiative – a grass-roots campaign spearheaded by VRL and focused on implementing Project 360º throughout the five boroughs of New York City. VRL supporters flooded in selling-out tickets within minutes of the event's opening. Attendees included long-time supporters: Fortress Investment Group who fiercely competed during the event's auction, by...

Veterans Scholarship Awards

Elmsford Rotary | Tarrytown Hilton, NY Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels. Official members of the Rotary's: Elmsford Chapter–District 7320, are a dedicated and diverse team of community leaders who share a passion for...

POW-MIA Observance Day Event

Venue Sponsored by the McGovern Estate | Manhattan, NYC Veterans Rebuilding Life held the first annual Manhattan Event at the Park Imperial Building on 56th Street in New York City. Thanks to the generous support of Kevin McGovern, the event was held in his private Penthouse on the 72nd floor, providing attendees with a stunning view of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. Guests honored VRL by traveling from all over the globe to attend...

Community Impact Awards

Douglaston Manor | Queens, New York Veterans Rebuilding Life was honored to attend the Times Ledger's Annual Impact Awards Ceremony, held at the beautiful Douglaston Manor, located in Queens, NY. Veterans Rebuilding Life was formally recognized at this year's Gala for their continued support of the local veteran community, by providing pro bono humanitarian services to NYC vets, through VRL's base-of-operations located in Astoria - Queens, NY. Seen above from right, is last year's Impact...

Veterans Memorial Initiative

HONORING SACRIFICE THROUGH SERVICE How do we honor the fallen? How do we translate our appreciation for their sacrifice in a meaningful way? Stone memorials stand in every park, yet we pass them blindly, accustomed to their presence and oblivious to what they represent. We, the men and women who created VRL and support this organization’s activities, were inspired by the sacrifice of our brothers in arms and wanted to create a memorial that would...

LGBTQIA Veterans Event

The Center | 208 13th Street | West Village | Manhattan, NY On the evening of February 28th, 2019 - representatives from Veterans Rebuilding Life attended the first community forum held in New York City developed for Veterans and their family members in the LGBTQIA communities. The veterans initiative took place in the West Village of Manhattan, where it was hosted by The Center. Attending veteran service organizations included the NYPD's Community Outreach Division, and...

The Manfredi Movement

Community Fundraising Event | Staten Island | New York This Staten Island charities mission is to spread the importance of philanthropy among youth in America. By involving young adults in charitable efforts, the Manfredi Movement's objective is to broaden the demographic of donors supporting the nonprofit sector. The youth initiative, encourages existing nonprofits to continue their humanitarian efforts, by increasing the number of young adults intent on making a lasting positive impact. Founder and CEO of...

Rotary Scholarship Awards

Elmsford Rotary Scholarship Awards | Tarrytown, New York The Rotary Club, an international service organization comprised of community leaders whose motto; Service Above Self, defines their humanitarian mission: the advancement of international goodwill. Each year, the Rotary Club's Elmsford Chapter located in Tarrytown, NY has granted Veterans Rebuilding Life the honor of selecting a candidate worthy of receiving the Rotary's Annual Scholarship Award, which provides recipients with direct-financial support toward any accredited training or educational program, chosen...

Alzheimers 5K Fundraising Event

Alzheimer's disease affects more than three million people each year in the United States alone. The degenerative brain disease currently affects more than 5.2 million Americans over the age of 65, slowly destroying memory, reducing the ability to care for oneself, and ultimately leads to death. Alzheimer's is currently the third leading cause of death among seniors in the United States. The U.S Dept. of Veterans Affairs recently reported that veterans are twice as likely...

Manhattan Veterans Day Parade

Veterans Rebuilding Life was honored by the city of New York who invited members to ride the lead–float in the Manhattan Veterans Day Parade. Accompanying VRL, were the Montford Point Marine Association (seen above) a nonprofit military veteran's group, founded to memorialize the legacy of the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps. The first African American U.S. Marines were trained at Camp Montford Point, in Jacksonville, North Carolina, from 1942...

Donovan’s Memorial Fundraising Event

Event Hosted by Donovan's of Woodside | Queens, NY VRL's latest event was hosted by New York City's landmarked Irish pub: Donovan's of Woodside. The award-winning restaurant and tavern opened its doors in-support of Veterans Rebuilding Life, when the owners learned that the organization was attempting to raise the cost of a memorial, to honor the first casualties in the history of the war on terror. Seen above, are VRL members; Natasha Ryder and Kevin...

Military Family Day

CORONA PARK BBQ EVENT | QUEENS, NYC Thanks to Everyone Who Came Out to Make VRL's First Annual Family Day Picnic & BBQ a Tremendous Success! With your support, we exceeded the fundraising goal to support American Veterans returning from Afghanistan, by providing them with professional training in a variety of trades, to be followed by full-time employment opportunities in the civilian workforce through our new program: VET: Veteran Employment Training. The program is scheduled...

Beer Garden Fundraising Event

HOSTED BY: DUBLINER'S BEER GARDEN SPONSORED BY: THE BAYONNE BOMBERS RFC The 14th Annual Belgian Beer Night was held at the The Dubliner – Hoboken, New Jersey’s largest rooftop bar, in-support of Veterans Rebuilding Life for the second year in a row! What started out as a few kegs on a patio, has grown to be one of the most anticipated fundraising events in town, as Belgian Beer Nite continues to bring people together over a pint for a...

NYC Veterans Day Event

KING'S COUNTY BOROUGH HALL | BROOKLYN, NYC Current Mayor of New York City Eric L. Adams, honored Brooklyn’s military heroes at his “Start Strong, Finish Strong” resource fair for veterans, organized in partnership with Fort Hamilton of the U.S. Army, in partnership with a variety of Veteran Service Organizations operating in the NYC area, including Veterans Rebuilding Life. In honor of Veterans Day, Borough President Adams presented citations to select Brooklyn veterans for the distinguished...

NYC Fleet Week Promotion Ceremony

SEPTEMBER 11TH MEMORIAL PARK | GROUND ZERO, NYC The Thousands of Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen from U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships arrived in Manhattan for Fleet Week in New York City. Since 1984, Fleet Week New York is the City's celebration of America's amphibious military branches of service, including the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. The annual event provides an opportunity for the people of New York and surrounding Tristate area,...

International Visitors Leadership Program

Sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of State | International Program Initiative | Queens, NY As one of the nation's smallest nonprofit organizations actively engaged with overseas humanitarian operations, Veterans Rebuilding Life had the honor of hosting a cross-cultural dialogue with foreign participants from the U.S. Department of State’s - International Visitor Leadership Program, (IVLP). Arranged by the Meridian International Center, and organized by Miss Dina Siggs, Senior Program Specialist of the New York Branch, the...

Rooftop Beer Garden Event

SPONSORED BY THE BAYONNE BOMBERS RUGBY CLUB Veterans Rebuilding Life celebrated the Third Annual Belgian Beer Event, sponsored by the Bayonne Bombers – Rugby Football League, longtime supporters of VRL and the military community of which we serve. Founded in 1989, the Bayonne Rugby Football Club competes in Division two of the newly formed Empire Rugby Football Union (RFU) within the Northeast RFU of U.S. Rugby. Drawing mostly from Hoboken, Bayonne and Jersey City, NJ and...