Karen Kuciver (left) marvels at the donations Laura Colbert (right) delivered on Oct. 12. (Photo by Jerry Colbert)
Peggy McGee
Laura Colbert, who served in the Navy, has a warm spot in her heart for helping all veterans in any way she can, but helping other women who have also served is at the top of her list. Each month, she, with the help of her husband Jerry, makes several trips to Tucson to drop off donations for hospitalized and homeless veterans at the VA Hospital and Women Warriors.
The Women Warriors’ mission is to assist homeless, unemployed, and underemployed female veterans with housing and utility expenses. These ladies do not just get a free check but, rather, must attend classes to improve their financial literacy, as well as develop or update their resumes. In addition to grants, a major source of funding to support the program comes from Wendy’s Boutique, an upscale thrift store. The veterans in the Women Warriors program shop at the store for free, while all others pay for their purchases.
When Laura and Jerry made the trip to Tucson earlier this month with donations that filled the backseat, as well as the trunk, of their car, Women Warriors founder Karen Kuciver was surprised, excited, jubilant, and very grateful!
These donations came from several Quail Creek residents and included fall clothing, shoes, jewelry, kitchen utensils, flatware, bowls, appliances, puzzles, cards, calendars, and so much more. Laura wished the donors could have seen Karen’s face when they opened the trunk and the backseat door to reveal a packed car full of goodies from the very giving hearts of ladies in Quail Creek.
Laura reported that, as they were unloading the car, she found herself thinking how proud and blessed she feels that she lives in Quail Creek and to have had such a great response from our residents to help these female veterans.
Kuciver, whose late husband was a veteran, mentioned that many of the veterans the organization serves are football fans, so she would like to receive donations of NFL memorabilia. The items not claimed by the female veterans will be sold in the boutique and used to raise funds needed to move the veterans into housing.
If you are downsizing or perhaps changed your team loyalty after moving to Arizona and would like your collection to help the less fortunate rather than gather dust, we have the solution for you. Contact Laura at 520-625-4033 to coordinate your donation. If you need a tax receipt, please let her know.
For more information about the Women Warriors program, please visit their website womenwarriorstucson.com. The next time you are in Tucson, you might also check out Wendy’s Boutique at 5851 E. Speedway Blvd., Suite 141. You just might find some real bargains.