Harley Davidson Foundation Donates $1M To Mobile Service Office

August 27, 2010 - That veterans have problems negotiating the procedural hurdles of being awarded disability benefits is not a big surprise. Because of how the system is set up, there are millions of veterans who need help collecting their disability compensation. The Harley Davidson fund knows this takes money and donated $1 million to help the cause.

The incredible amount of red tape involved in the disability claims process with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) slows everything down. Something as innocuous as checking the wrong box on a form can lead to months of delays. For many veterans, however, they cannot afford to wait. For many veterans, their conditions need immediate treatments.

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization was enacted for this very reason: to help veterans collect the benefits they deserve. The DAV is a non-profit organization, is completely operated by disabled veterans, and is allegedly supposed to help speed up the claims process with Veterans Affairs.

The DAV deployed a Mobile Service Office (MSO) in 2001. The MSO's purpose is to find veterans on the street who cannot access local offices. Ten regional offices exist across the country and each one has their own MSO with their $1 million budget relying strictly on donated funds. The Harley Davidson Foundation donated $1 million towards the MSO's budget in 2006 and again 2 weeks ago.

Harley Davidson Foundation President Gail Lione acknowledged Harley's long history with military veterans. He stated their partnership with the DAV will allow Harley to support a great organization and at the same time commemorate veterans' contributions to this country.