KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is pleased to announce that Burger King® has surpassed $2 million in donations to VFW’s Unmet Needs program. Last year marked the sixth consecutive year participating Burger King® Franchise Owned Restaurants across the United States joined together with the VFW Foundation to raise funds for the program.
Created in 2004, VFW’s Unmet Needs program provides emergency financial assistance to veterans, service members and military families to assist with the cost of basic life necessities such as rent, mortgage, utilities, vehicle repair, medical expenses or food. Funds are available to all five branches of the military, as well as members of the National Guard and Reserves. The assistance is awarded in the form of a grant, not a loan, so recipients are not required to repay it.
Burger King® customers were encouraged to give $1 or more toward the Unmet Needs program when they purchased their food.
“Burger King® Franchise Restaurant Owners are incredibly proud that our fundraising efforts for U.S. troops and their families have now surpassed the $2 million mark,” said Mike DeRosa, a Burger King® franchise owner, VFW Foundation Board member and spokesperson for the group. “Our loyal Burger King® customers believe as we do, that U.S. military families deserve this assistance, and they want to ensure that military service personnel will never feel forgotten in their time of need. After all, these brave men and women, often far from home and those they love, have frequently personally sacrificed so much for America!”
“We are extremely grateful to Burger King® Franchise Owners for supporting our Unmet Needs program and congratulate them on reaching this incredible donation benchmark,” said VFW Foundation President, Allen “Gunner” Kent. “It’s through the participation of great businesses like Burger King® Franchise Owned Restaurants and their patriotic customers that we are able to provide such great assistance to those who deserve it most.”