Over the last six years, the Reynolds Veterans Association (RVA) has raised monies to broadly support nearly 30 individual scholarships and a number of broad-ranging programs, which together helped UGA’s student veterans successfully pursue careers in business, healthcare, law, public service, and STEM. During the 2019-20 academic year alone, the RVA funded eight veteran scholarships, multiple employer breakfasts, and the traditional Fall Veterans Week Reception.
As a Founding Donor to the University of Georgia's Student Veterans Resource Center, the RVA has directly contributed to UGA being consistently named as one of the nation's Top Tier-1 universities for support to student veterans and a recognized benchmark of good practice.
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As UGA’s Director of the Student Veterans Resource Center, I see first-hand the benefit RVA provides to our student veterans.
Whether rallying its members to provide suits for our veterans to wear at an upcoming Career Fair, raising funds for an endowed scholarship to help finance their education or providing ready access to emergency funds, the Reynolds Veterans Association (RVA) is a responsive and high-impact organization that positively shapes the lives of our students.
As a university and community, we are fortunate that the RVA has taken such an interest in our student veterans; an interest which is profoundly appreciated. Go Dawg !
The Reynolds Veterans Association has done great work for the student veterans at the University of Georgia. They furnished our new lounge and they've donated suits to us that can be used for job interviews and at networking events. I've benefited directly from their generosity and others will too for years to come. Their efforts are greatly appreciated.
I'm one of the first, and most humbled, recipients of the support this group provides to wounded warriors of all services. This community of patriots works constantly to better the lives of the men and women injured while in service to our country. For the past 8 years the group has donated material items of great importance to the treatment and therapy of our service members; recreational equipment, medical equipment, a transport van, etc. More important than the material items the group provides emotional support by taking the injured patients on outings, conducting birthday parties and sharing holiday festivities. It was my honor to work with this group for 3 years while I was a recovering wounded warrior shot in Afghanistan in 2006. The money they raise goes exclusively to those items and activities which help restore the physical and mental strength our injured service members need to return to a "regular life". The Reynolds Veterans Association helped this Army veteran resume a productive life and they've done the same for hundreds others. We should help them increase that number to "thousands" of success stories.
Reynolds Veterans Association (RVA) models how a small community-based non-profit can have a truly regional impact.
Whether supporting the Augusta VA Hospital’s Active Duty Rehabilitation Unit (ADRU) or the University of Georgia's Student Veterans, the RVA brings to bear a unique mixture of intellectual and financial capital focused on the health/educational needs of our returning veterans; needs that an agile non-profit is uniquely postured to address.
With over 250 members led by a vibrant leadership team and exceptional governance, the RVA is again poised to do great things this year.
I was one of the founding members of this organization in 2006. We initially began strictly for the fun and fellowship of a group of veterans around a golf tournament with inter service rivalries. We learned of the mission of the Active Duty Rehab Unit at the Augusta VA, met the patients and immediately determined we needed to help with this effort. We knew that by forming a non profit organization, that we would have even greater financial leverage in the receipt of donations.
This was accomplished in 2007 and since then have contributed nearly $300,000 in equipment and services to this one of a kind facilities within the VA system. We value the relationship and always hope that when we visit that we do not see a patient from our previous time there. This tell us that the program is effective and that the items we provide are aiding in speedier recoveries. It is always a pleasure to visit and talk to these brave men and women. Many are missing limbs, still have bullets of shrapnel in their bodies but none complain. Many want to return to active duty and all wish to continue with a life as close to normal as possible, considering their injuries.
Review from Guidestar