WAMC TO DONATE 765 RADIOS TO SOLDIER ON VETERANS

ALBANY, NY (11/18/2014)(readMedia)-- Listeners of WAMC Northeast Public Radio pledged during the recent Fall Fund Drive to donate 765 Eton Crank Radios to veterans in need. On Wednesday, November 19th, the veterans services non-profit organization Soldier On will receive the radios to distribute to local veterans receiving assistance. This special photo-op will take place at WAMC's main office at 318 Central Avenue at 10:00 am.

The donation is made on behalf of the nearly 600 listening members who pledged to support local veterans in need, while also pledging to support their local public radio station. Many of those listeners donated in honor of family members. "I think the crank radios for homeless veterans is an outstanding idea. Thank you for this opportunity to support WAMC and do something positive for our veterans. My donation is made in gratitude for the safe return of my adopted son, Sgt. Tamim Fares, who served honorably in both Iraq and Afghanistan," wrote new member Deborah Sabin of Clifton Park.

"The comments were so heartfelt, it was really moving. I'm so glad we did this. No emergency kit is complete without a crank radio," said WAMC's CEO and President, Alan Chartock. WAMC has offered the Eton crank radio as a premium option for pledgers since 2010, but this is the first time listeners could donate to someone they don't know. The compact all-purpose device plays AM/FM and weather band, has a solar panel as well as a hand turbine to power the radio and charge smartphones, and includes a flashlight.

WAMC's Fall Fund Drive, which ended on October 13 after a week of fundraising, raised $1M to support regional public radio. This is part of a recent trend in which WAMC has partnered with other non-profit organizations to further support the community it serves. Chartock remarked, "Our members always come through for us. The positive feedback surrounding our giving back is encouraging. People love making their donation count to help others, and veterans can really use the assistance. I am delighted that our listeners responded so strongly."

Soldier On, Inc. provides safe affordable housing to homeless veterans, including permanent limited-equity ownership units at the Gordon Mansfield Veterans Community in Pittsfield, Mass. The Mansfield Community serves as a national model as Soldier On actively seeks to extend its successful veterans' programs to communities throughout the United States. Soldier On provides rapid response support services to veterans who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless in five states.

On any given night, there are between 130,000 and 200,000 American veterans living in homelessness. For the past five years Soldier On has been at 115% capacity, providing housing and services to 285 veterans each night. Veterans make up twenty percent of the country's homeless population.

CEO of Soldier On, John F. Downing said, "The crank radios will be a reminder to each of our veterans of the thousands of supporters of public radio who are grateful for their service. It will be our honor to distribute these radios to the veterans that we serve on behalf of those who support public radio with our emphasis on their gratitude for each of our veterans' service to our country."

Soldier On is a private nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness. Since 1994, the organization has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing and supportive services. In 2010, Soldier On opened the first Gordon H. Mansfield Veterans Community, a permanent housing cooperative that provides formerly homeless veterans with safe, sustainable, affordable housing, transitioning them from homelessness to homeownership. This housing model will be replicated nationally as Soldier On continues to change the end of the story for homeless veterans throughout the country.

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states. These include New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Stations and translators are in 24 locations throughout the region. WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is an award winning producer of regionally based programming and an affiliate of member National Public Radio, American Public Media, and Public Radio International. To become a member go to: http://www.wamc.org/support.html

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