Courtesy of the Oneida County Veterans Service Office

On Friday, Dec. 4, AmVets Post 724 received a $5,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, which drives global corporate citizenship and philanthropic programs for UPS. The grant will be used toward kitchen renovation in the Veterans Center building, located at 1002 Coon Street in Rhinelander. The Veterans Center is owned by AmVets Post 724, and they hold their monthly meetings at the building. AmVets, the NCO Club, DAV Post 62 and American Legion Post 7 hold their meetings there as well.

Additionally, the Military Support Group is housed there and it’s where their care packages are boxed each month to send to troops overseas. Eventually, this building will be available to rent for small functions. The donation was presented to Dan Keck, Vice Commander of AmVets Post 724 and owner of Keck Construction. Keck, a 1SG who retired in 2008 after serving 22 years in the Army National Guard, spent approximately 900 hours of his off-time renovating the building, and because he’s also an employee of UPS, this time was considered community service and it’s what made AmVets eligible for the grant.

“We are grateful for the support of UPS and their generous donations. This is the third donation they’ve given us for a total of $8,000. This will directly impact every veteran in the area as well as anyone who wants to utilize the building. Without the support of UPS, this could have taken years for us to accomplish. I sincerely thank UPS for their extreme generosity,” Keck said.

Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, GA, The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving around the world: volunteerism, diversity, community safety and the environment. In 2014, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $104.2 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/foundation. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.

“The UPS Foundation is honored to support the AmVets’ efforts to renovate their Veterans Center,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation. “Our goal is to fund powerful programs that make a lasting difference to the global community.”