Help AIPF TODAY!
Your donations help improve the lives and give support to our veterans affected by Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam, and Native American veterans around the country. We are very grateful for your generosity. Find out more information below and donate any amount today!
THE FIRST DEFENDERS PROJECT
Hello, my name is Terrance Chitcus Brown, creator and founder of the American Indian Preservation Fund & First Defenders. When founding these organizations, our goal has been to help those in our community fight the struggles of the US healthcare system as a veteran with a helping hand and financial assistance when needed for veterans and their families. This funding effort began in 1991 in Northern California, where several Native American veterans came together to honor their fellow veterans by creating a Ceremonial Redwood Dug Out. This dug-out has been made available to all WWII, Korea, and Vietnam veterans to sit beside and appear with during the Veterans Day Parade in Arcata, CA on November 11th, 1991. What started with an idea has turned into a charity, spreading awareness to civilians of the veterans to this day in the US that have been affected by Agent Orange during their time of service, and who have been let down by the US government medically and physically. The mission of the dug-out fundraising is to aid and assist the veterans across the country, and where possible due to the rural isolated locations of the Indian Nations reservations. Chitcus, a Karuk Tribal Medicine, embarked on a mission to aid and assist the afflicted Agent Orange veteran family across the country, not just in his home state of California. As 2015 rolled around, Chitcus, a Rolling Thunder supporter, came across many Vietnam veterans that seemed to be on the outside of services provided by the state, and the federal government. It became a working passion to get the message out to the everyday people, that our country has failed these veterans, Native American and American veterans, and he promised he would be the voice they needed. Chitcus has voiced their challenges via social media, and by going in front of powerful platforms within Washington DC and speaking about the truths that veterans are being failed, their medical needs not being addressed, and Agent Orange being swept under the rug. As Chitcus traveled across the country, it became quite clear that thousands of veterans were being left along the side of the road with no answers, no assistance, and medically struggling after courageously serving their country. Today, we introduce to you First Defenders (Equinox, LLC.), a company that is set up to help one veteran and their family, one by one across the country. We ask for your help in this mission by donating to our cause, your donations will go towards travel costs to assist veterans in rural location and bring then to VA centers within the cities, assist them with filing federal and local assistance documents for medical and/or financial help, housing veterans who may be in need of immediate financial assistance that are homeless, education materials so we can spread the word of First Defenders of Agent Orange locally within your cities and across the country, and many more services. Please see our YouTube video with our very own Chitcus Brown, telling his and the story other Agent Orange veterans wish to spread awareness to.
