Suggestions for Woodworking Gifts for Veterans
Badger1805
| Posted in General Discussion on
My wife told me about a local quilting group that makes quilts to be donated to military veterans in need. This got me to thinking – is there something that can be made using common woodworking skills that most veterans could use and would appreciate? The only thing I can think of is pen sets, which I see another group is making, and if possible I would prefer it to be something that most general woodworkers can make with the tools they have (i.e., not turned or carved items) so that I could get as many local woodworkers interested in doing this as possible.
Replies
Veterans are a very diverse group with no limit to differing interests, wants, and needs (kind of like all customers). If you want something that is focused on a group of veterans, you could make a plaque with something identifying a theater in which they served. You could put the designed emblem for that theater on any woodworking item, then. Maybe the VA website can help with ideas.
I could use a Morgan plus 8 frame made out of English oak! Lots of Vets under the Oakland overpasses. They would probably be most appreciative of a load of good firewood!
As an alternative to making something, maybe you could donate to Rob Cosman's "Purple Heart Project", "PHP".
https://robcosman.com/pages/php-what-is-php
This program gets to the heart of really helping out a veteran. It's not for all vet's but the ones that participate are richly rewarded for a lifetime. Take a look and see what you think. You can also help out by volunteering to build a workbench for a vet through "The Purple Heart Bench Brigade".
Usually Rob has a two hour "Live" show every other Saturday to help "Fund Raise" for the PHP. He sends notifications regarding the show if you sign up to be notified. He's located in eastern Canada but serves veterans from all over the world. He and his company are truly dedicated to helping vets in need. All at no cost to the veteran. I'd say more but he says it best. If after watching the video on the Purple Heart Project you know a veteran that meets the programs criteria, please refer them or someone who knows them to the program. For those of you out there that know about the "PHP" program you know that Rob does this from his heart. Thank you for your interest in helping our veterans.
Thinking of Things That Are Useful, a gift probably needs either to have utility or fungibility - if it cannot be used then it should be saleable.
To be sustainable, gifts need to be small - to be manufactured from what might otherwise be waste, both time and materiel.
Cutting boards spring to mind, but also boxes, lamps, pens, picture frames, trivets, spoons and bowls.
Probably not what you were thinking, but there is a group near me that makes and gives urns to veterans families after they pass. They are a simple wooden box, with a emblem for their branch and a brass name plate.
Hello . We were at the Asheville show. I picked up an application for a box for my brother in law. I have misplaced the application. Is there a place I can request another. My address is 3801 Summit Dr. Kingsport TN. 37664. (423)972-5133.
I don't think I was clear enough in my original posting. I'm really looking for something that veterans who are disabled or have PTSD, living either at a VA hospital, nursing home, group home, etc. would enjoy having and using. Quilts and patriotic pen sets are great examples of this. People in these situations usually have limited storage space, but most of them can use a quilt for their bed or a pen set. Small trinket boxes and standard-sized picture frames might be a possibility, but are there other ideas out there as well? I'm thinking that if the right idea comes along, I can garner support from other local woodworkers who will donate time and materials (and maybe a few businesses who would donate materials as well). So many businesses have jumped on the "support the veterans" bandwagon in recent years, in large part to market themselves, that it would be nice to have some anonymous woodworkers do something like this to show their appreciation.
Phone stand? I've given away a bunch of these and everyone seems to like them.
I like this idea a lot - it's something that everyone can use, it's compact enough for these environments, and it could perhaps have space for a short message and/or flag logo laser etched onto it, something along the lines of "thank you for your service to our country". (I would ask the VA for advice on the exact wording, etc. since they know their clients the best).
Go to the website in my profile and use the contact form, I'll send you the one in the photo as a jumping off point. Lot's of room for individual makers to add their own twists if you just defined basic size/ angles you wanted.
As woodworkers ourselves, we also know that the most useful present isn’t always going to be a fancy, high-priced power tool or expensive device - although we have included several of these machines. Sometimes what they’d like most is something simple that they use all the time—and that have a tendency to get lost—like #2 Phillips bits, carpenter's pencils, and tape measures.
It may not be very diverse but I plan on making canes out of cutoffs to give away.
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