Outside The Wire

02/27/2026

Today OTW and four social work graduate students (2 are veterans themselves) had the honor of spending time with the wonderful residents at Via Christi Village for a fun art activity, coffee and donuts. 💙 It was such a joy to sit together, create, laugh, and hear a few stories along the way. Moments like these remind us how powerful connection and creativity can be.

We are so grateful to Via Christi Village for welcoming Outside the Wire into your community and allowing us to spend meaningful time with your residents. It truly meant a lot to us, and we hope it brightened their day as much as it did ours.

We’re already looking forward to coming back soon for a storytelling activity. We can’t wait to hear more of the incredible life experiences and wisdom these residents have to share.

Thank you again for such a warm welcome. We loved every minute of our visit. 💛

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We are deeply grateful to our generous donors for making visits like this possible. Because of your support, we are able to spend meaningful time with residents who have given so much to our country and their communities. The majority of the individuals we visited were either veterans themselves or family members of veterans, which made this time together especially meaningful to our mission. Your kindness helps us bring connection, creativity, and moments of joy to those who truly deserve it. Thank you for standing with us and honoring those who have served. 💙

02/20/2026

We are incredibly grateful to Craw-Kan Cares for their generous $3,750 donation to Outside the Wire Veterans Foundation. Your support helps us continue our mission of serving veterans and their families across Southeast Kansas through connection, healing, and community.

Because of partners like you, we are able to reduce isolation?and stand beside those who have served our country.

Thank you for believing in our mission and for investing in the well-being of our veterans. 🇺🇸

📸 Photo credit: Block22

02/12/2026

VA Benefits Guide.

https://department.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2025-Federal-Benefits-for-Veterans-Dependents-and-Survivors.pdf?fbclid=IwZnRzaAP7GCRleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeTe8TeXiJb8378L98TFo49y4EnZIz7bKBxcFMxWTqGd3X8VR33qZA6VF9Xqs_aem__OZvArgii5640VlfAh2XPA

02/11/2026

Don't forget to register for our upcoming range day as spots are limited.

Registration form: https://pci.jotform.com/form/253446751371156

02/08/2026

Huge shoutout and heartfelt thank you to Justin, a fellow veteran and veteran-owned business owner, for donating this absolutely beautiful custom piece to Outside the Wire Veterans Foundation (OTW) 🇺🇸

This handcrafted board means more to us than words can say. It represents craftsmanship, pride, service, and the continued commitment veterans have to supporting one another long after the uniform comes off. We are incredibly grateful for Justin’s generosity and his willingness to give back to the veteran community.

Justin owns and operates Pitt Metal CNC, a veteran-owned business, and his work truly speaks for itself. If you’re looking for high-quality custom metal, wood, or CNC work, we encourage you to check out his website:
👉 http://www.pittmetalcnc.com/

To our fellow service members and veterans, please go support one of our own. Supporting veteran owned businesses is one more way we stay connected, strengthen our communities, and continue taking care of each other.

Thank you again, Justin. We appreciate you and your support.

02/06/2026

🇺🇸 Veterans Retreat | September 25–27 🇺🇸

Outside the Wire is hosting a Veterans Retreat at The Honey Pitt, with meals provided by The Blue Spoon, to give veterans a space to rest, reconnect, and heal through community and peer support.

We’re raising $3,500 to make this retreat possible and are seeking community sponsors and supporters. Every donation goes directly toward lodging, meals, and retreat programming.

If you or your business would like to support those who served, please consider sponsoring or donating.

01/30/2026

Veterans and families of veterans — this is important.

Lately, we’ve seen a noticeable increase in requests for help from veterans who are ill and preparing to enter nursing homes, or who are already there. Nursing home care is incredibly expensive, and the reality is that the VA typically prioritizes veterans who are 70% service-connected or higher. While there are exceptions, they’re rare—and we won’t get into those details here.

What we do want to say is this:
Many elderly veterans never applied for VA disability benefits because they didn’t believe in it, didn’t want to “take handouts,” or thought someone else needed it more. But these benefits are earned, not given. They are there to support veterans when they need them most.

We strongly encourage you to talk with the veterans in your life: parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends and urge them to apply for VA benefits before a health crisis happens. Once a veteran is already in a nursing home and not connected through VA Benefits Administration, cases can become extremely complicated and stressful for everyone involved.

And even if a veteran does not qualify for disability compensation, they may still qualify for a VA pension.

A simple conversation today can prevent major hardship later. Please share this message, and let’s look out for our veterans and their families—just like they looked out for us. 🇺🇸💙

Contact your local Veterans Service Organizations such as the VFW, American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, or DAV for help. These organizations provide free assistance with VA claims and do not charge veterans for their services.

Here is a Kansas Resource:

Applications and information may be obtained from the Home’s Admission Coordinator at (620) 227-2121, extension 146 or 119 or application may be obtained from our website: www.kcva.org.

01/26/2026

Are there any veterans out there in need of winter clothes? Mainly sweaters and shirts. Size XL and 2XL that someone is wanting to donate.

01/17/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18PkZwsbze/?mibextid=wwXIfr

VA has updated its rules on benefit apportionment. Need-based apportionments will no longer be made, and circumstances for dividing compensation, pension, and DIC benefits are now limited. This aligns with state family court decisions, which are better suited for family financial matters. Learn more by visiting: https://news.va.gov/144460/va-limits-apportionment-disability-benefits/