About the Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN)

Welcome to our disabled veteran support center. My name is Robert Hess. I’m a 90% disabled Vietnam veteran with 80% of my disability combat-related. Almost all of my disability stems from Agent Orange-related prostate cancer and combat-related PTSD.  I know first hand the challenges disabled veterans face in getting their lives back on track.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are roughly 22 million veterans in the general U.S. population. The number of veterans from our recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is expected to surge to 3.8 million by 2018, but there are still 7.2 million veterans from the Vietnam war alone.

Roughly 30% of our newest veterans have a service-related disability, while about 8% live in poverty.  16% of other veterans are similarly injured and 7% of that broader group are living in poverty.

There is a huge need in America’s veteran population.

I created the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project 501 c3 non-profit charity in 2006 to help veterans with prostate cancer measure their risk and find their cancer while it is treatable. We expanded our mission to include support for all cancers in 2016 and the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project became the Cancer Journeys Foundation, also a 501 c3 non-profit charity, EIN 81-1880936.

The Veterans Administration now provides medical care for over 5 million veterans and more than 40,000 veterans are diagnosed each year with cancer. That’s a staggering number.

Disabled Veteran Empowerment Network (DVEN) Mission Statement

The mission of this program is to identify veteran organizations that are providing genuine support to the veteran community and provide monetary support to those programs through our vehicle donation program.

Sadly, many people have created sham organizations that collect funds but never provide any meaningful support. The Federal Trade Commission and state governments work hard to identify these organizations but it’s a challenge. We have posted a list of sham organizations in the right sidebar along with a list of organizations that genuinely support our veteran community.

Donate Your Vehicle With Confidence

We are as committed to supporting America’s veterans as they were committed to defending America’s freedom and values during their military service. You can be confident the funds generated from your donated vehicle actually will reach organizations providing needed support to our military veteran community.

How to Donate Your Vehicle to Support Disabled Veterans