ARM Vet Charity: Rule to Cuomo?s Recent Exception?

The story widely reported earlier this week that New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has filed felony charges against a collection agency owner related to allegations the agency mistreated military families may prove to be a black eye for the industry, an example of political grandstanding, or both.

But whatever the outcome, the credit and collection industry is clearly at a crossroads in its dealings with the segment of the consumer population that is perhaps the most deserving of special treatment: U.S. military service members, veterans and their families.  At no other time in history have veterans faced greater financial pressures, at a time when just about any single collector contact with a consumer can become national news within 24 hours under the right circumstances.

If you are reading this, then you can take action now.  What you do (or fail to do) right now will help determine whether the stereotypes perpetuated by the news from New York become the standard for how your country thinks of your treatment of military veterans and their families—or a relatively obscure side note to your industry’s proven track record of service to military veterans.  What will it be?

How Can I Help U.S. Military Veterans?

Right now, you can make a tax deductible donation that will help needy U.S. military veterans.  ARMing Heroes (www.armingheroes.org), the accounts receivable management industry’s non-profit dedicated to serving U.S. veterans (hence “ARM” in “ARMing”), announced the launch of its First Annual Veteran’s Day Charity Fundraising Drive (“the drive”) earlier this month.

Through September 29, 2010, donations made at www.armingheroes.org and by mail have totaled 42% of ARMing Heroes’ stated goal of raising $10,000 for U.S. military veterans during its ten-week drive, which started on September 11, 2010.  Click here to see which companies have stood up in support of U.S. military veterans with a donation through September 29, 2010.

Comment on this story below if you are reading it online, and make a pledge for a donation in the comments section.  Tell the world why you support this cause, including the name of your company, and let us know how we can contact you for the donation.  Tell us if you’d like to become a Force Multiplier, too (those who commit to raising $1000 from other sources).  These commitments can also be made directly at www.armingheroes.org.

About the Drive

The drive began at 8:46 AM EST on Saturday, September 11, 2010, and will conclude at 11:00 AM PST on Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11, 2010.  The starting time coincided with the anniversary of the first attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, while the ending time coincides with the anniversary of the official cease fire at the end of World War I, a date later adopted for use as Veterans Day in the United States.

The goal of the drive is to raise $10,000 or more and disburse most or all of the funds in time for the holidays, both directly to veterans who have applied for aid and indirectly through in-kind donations to one or more large national veterans’ charities on behalf of the ARM industry.

Donors interested in making a difference in the lives of veterans can send a check or money order payable to “ARMing Heroes” to P.O. Box 353, Collingswood, NJ 08108 or can also click here to visit the ARMing Heroes website to make an online donation.

All donations are tax deductible.  All donors will be recognized (where permitted) on the ARMing Heroes website and will be updated in December with information on how their donation specifically helped a veteran or veterans.

About ARMing Heroes
ARMing Heroes is the accounts receivable management industry’s non-profit dedicated to serving U.S. veterans (hence “ARM” in “ARMing”). It was founded and began operating in March, 2009.  The organization’s mission is to serve the needs of U.S. military veterans, including their spouse and children. ARMing Heroes fills a charitable niche by linking people identified with employment, credit, and financial counseling needs with the accounts receivable management industry, an industry uniquely poised to help in these areas.  Persons interested in volunteering their time and others interested in applying for benefits or pledging other forms of support are encouraged to contact the organization at www.armingheroes.org.