Programs:

To maintain our status with the St. Louis Better Business Bureau, we strive to make our program expense at least 65% of our total organization expenditures. On our most recent audit and federal tax return (Federal Form 990) for 2008 our expense ratio was 77%. In January 2007, our board voted to discontinue the telemarketing sales of products. Although still profitable, the administrative cost of salaries, products, and deliveries made the programs to total expenditures ratio unacceptable. We looked at using, with no effort for us, an outside telemarketing firm, but those organizations keep 88%-90% of whatever they raise. The following paragraphs describe the programs where we spend our money, all of which we believe works toward accomplishing our vision and mission.

Membership: Membership in the Gateway Chapter PVA is free of charge. We currently have a membership of roughly 625, but we are constantly seeking to increase this number. We were able to increase our membership over 14% during the 2003 fiscal year.  To be qualified for membership, you must be an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States of America with a spinal cord injury or disease. If you believe you qualify for membership, please print and complete an application form from our website and mail it to our office or you may e-mail SusanLyle@gatewaypva.org to receive a membership packet filled with information outlining the benefits of membership, publications you will begin to receive, a membership application and other interesting information.

Two of our members, Dennis Durrwachter and Bob Huskey, discover that membership can be LOTS of fun! Now, come on guys, return that car before we get in trouble. Hospital Liaison: The chapter has a Hospital Committee comprised of members who volunteer and meet in person with spinal cord patients hospitalized at John Cochran Hospital and the Jefferson Barracks spinal cord injury unit. Ensuring good medical care is one of the primary missions of our organization and always proves to be the most difficult with the continually underfunded VA budget. Committee members meet with VA doctors and staff, and most recently have sought assistance from our congressional offices to improve care at John Cochran Hospital. Our member Matthew Wilcox, who recently passed away, is shown here in front of a polling place - obviously he could not get in, hence denied the right to vote! Matt was a tireless advocate for the healthcare of our members and the rights of the disabled community. Patient Services: We fund monthly luncheons and holiday dinners for the 32 inpatients and numerous outpatients at the Jefferson Barracks spinal cord injury unit.  At an average luncheon, we will serve 80-100 people, which will include patients, their families, and unit staff. These occasions are a great opportunity for veterans who were injured years ago to meet with and provide support to the newly injured veterans at the spinal cord unit. It also is an opportunity for the family members to meet and share experiences. The Chapter also provides calling cards for patients to keep in touch with their loved ones, day room snacks and soda, volunteer's supplies and various other benefits to our veterans who must spend time in the hospital. Gateway members serve as peer counselors to newly injured or diagnosed spinal cord disease veterans in a VA approved Peer Counseling Program. Members with years of experience living with spinal cord injury or diseases like multiple sclerosis, match up with the newly injured or diagnosed veterans. These newly hospitalized individuals, both men and women, may have been injured while on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, or several years later long after having been discharged. The program tries to assign counselors based upon age, injury level, and life experience. Counselors go through training for their assignments and adhere to strict federal guidance on patient privacy. The counselors are members who can truly say to the newly injured: "I know what you're going through."  Two of our Gateway board members sit on the Advisory Council with professional VA staff, overseeing the Peer Counseling Program. During our Christmas luncheon for the patients in the VA Medical Center, Santa dropped by  to spread some cheer. His bag of goodies was courtesy of the Gateway Chapter PVA.    Thanks for doing this for us, Santa! Publications/Communications: The Gateway Chapter publishes a bimonthly newsletter that is distributed to our members to keep them up on current Chapter news and events. Past and current Newsletters are available for viewing with Adobe Acrobat on this site's Newsletters page. subscribe to receive the newsletter via mail, please e-mail Editor@gatewaypva.org, as detailed under the Newsletter tab. The Olin/Winchester Trap & Skeet Facility staff are shown here with our veterans from a "Shoot for the Gold" tournament. Research & Education: In 2006, the Chapter provided small grants to the Kansas City VA Hospital and our national organization's research fund. Both organizations follow the National Institute of Health research guidelines. We also help fund continuing education for spinal cord staff when we believe that training will improve the care of our membership. Ruth Kult skiing at Hidden Valley Resort, February 2009. Sports: The Gateway Chapter runs an active Sports program headed up by our Sports Director Bobby Jackson. From bowling to billiards, track & field, softball, basketball, fishing, quad rugby and trap shooting, we can connect our veterans and other interested disabled persons with an activity that will meet their needs. For more information on sports, call the chapter office. 2007 Wheelchair Games Quad Rugby Fundraising: All chapters of the Paralyzed Veterans of America are required to have a fundraising program. Our chapter employs 2 part-time people in its telemarketing department who call area businesses and individuals to ask for donations.  Gateway complies with Missouri's stringent no call law that authorizes us to call only existing and past donors. We do not use a telemarketing firm like many charities do.  Therefore, when you donate to Gateway PVA, ALL of your money stays at our chapter.  Gateway PVA is a St. Louis Better Business Bureau Honor Roll Charity; we meet all 20 of the requisite standards. While still paying rent, utilities, salaries, and other overhead, 66% of what we spend goes directly to our programs. Your support is essential. To make a donation, please call 1 -800-426-4058 or follow the instructions on the "Donations" tab on our Home Page. Please specify that you would like your donation to go toward our sports program if you would like to sponsor a veteran in this year's wheelchair games! Our Annual Jack Buck Golf Tournament Transportation: The Gateway Chapter provides transportation for our veterans to local VA medical centers for treatments and to other various activities. We also transport area veteran members to activities in the community like trapshooting in Alton, Illinois, and our fall picnic gathering at Lone Elk Park in southwest St. Louis County. We are currently seeking VA approval to transport hospitalized spinal cord patients who are able, to stores and activities near the Jefferson Barracks spinal cord unit. We employ one part-time driver, who works 4 days per week. Plus, we would like to gratefully acknowledge the help of Dick Bishop who volunteers his time and driving expertise to our veterans every Wednesday. We are blessed to have such a wonderful volunteer. Our van in the Veteran's Day parade. The door is open for one of our members who was too ill to roll in the parade with the others.