The Belles of Liberty place approximately 3500 flags on the graves of our veterans fpr Memorial Day, they also retire the flag that flies over the cemetery and raise the new flag. A week later, they come back to Phoenix Memorial Cemetery and remove the flags (per the request of the cemetery), and the flags are detroyed with honor and ceremony.
Hate group or charity? This nonprofit is a so called local charity, paid for membership group disguised as a charity, but really nothing more than a motorcycle kinda club that claims to help Veterans in the State of AZ, more specifically, the Phoenix and surrounding community areas.
While yes, helping vets is a noble cause, and they have done so for sure, at what cost and harm to others? They treat their members pretty bad, have engaged in libel, and have been accused of only helping veterans who seem to fit in the vision of what they think a patriot is. In other words, the leaders have engaged in and been witnessed being involved in bigoted and racist behaviors. Violent comments have also been overheard. They are down to three official members I have been told.
Locally they are achieving a very bad reputation around town and have earned the nickname the " Bully Belles." They remind me of the mean gals group in high school, but not as popular. If you try to call them out on their bad behavior they yell at you and spread lies around town and try to say it is your issue.
This is a very nice photo included here and a noble cause day but most of these members are gone now due to the hypocrisy, abuse, lies, and horrific behaviors involved while being active members of a group with a false sense of what real patriotism means.
I am a lawyer that lives locally. I was asked a while back when they were called something else before they rebranded, to look into them. Accusations of some sketchy business practices. It is okay to be new and learning but where they refuse help from local charity experts and poo poo federal regulations of Non Profit laws, that becomes a large concern. They also charge their members fees. Pay to do volunteer work? That is a. pretty strange concept we have never heard of. Do not pay on time? You get berated in public several ex members have reported.
On a personal level, I know many ex and current members and have attended many mutual events where Belles have been in attendance. I have witnessed some awful behaviors by the leaders and one member who is a piece of work. I overheard, I think it was their VP, actually yell a racist statement to a guest. I was shocked. While helping Vets is a very noble cause of course, racist comments, berating members and abuse is not. Being a member of a group that wants to help people in need then being hated on by your own member family is a horrendous sin.
It is great to do charity projects, and the Belles have done some charitable things, but being and earning nonprofit status is a whole new ball game. These ladies leading the pack are pretty clueless about what that means and refuse to learn. Also, what good is a charity if you are harming others in the process? Someone needs to audit this Non Profit for sure.
The Belles also have this odd Mission Statement of forced charity work. It seems cultish. I mean who forces people to do charity work? Can't make an event? Get berated, kicked out, libeled around town? Charity work should be given from your heart and soul willingly not forced upon you, not charged a fee for, and most certainly not mandated or get bullied for.
There are so many other. great charities in town. If you really want to help Vets avoid the Belles and search out other organizations.
The Bells of Liberty were created to help our military, our veterans, and their families. We have several veterans in our group. We get out and do as much as we can to help our veterans. We work with other veteran organizations.. Some of the work we have done is helping a marine widow in New River To clean her yard and her home. There was a Navy widow that we helped to rebuild her home inside and move her back into it. We do car shows to raise money. We have car washes to raise money. We've volunteered at the Phoenix Veteran Home and done several events there. We are involved in the Mesa Veterans Day parade. Also, the Glendale Hometown Christmas parade. We also place flags at Phoenix memorial cemetery form Memorial Day. Then on Memorial Day, we retire the color colors and post the new colors.