Veterans organization seeking donated DVDs

A nonprofit organization, DVDs4Vets, is looking for donations from the public. Its mission is to help veterans who for physical or economic reasons cannot obtain digital video discs on their own.

The group on its Web site, www.dvds4vets.org, states that it is not politically associated, nor does it accept financial support for the project. Donors help by giving new and used movies to veterans. The Web site section “Donate DVDs” instructs visitors on donating to veterans.

Veterans who want to receive a donated DVD can do so by going to “Locate DVDs.”

According to the Web site, the idea to start DVDs4Vets came about on Veterans Day 2006. Many wounded soldiers returning home from Iraq were unable, because of physical hardships, to easily obtain some of the basic entertainment civilians take for granted.

Dr. Richard Landis of Westport, Conn., wanted to help, having returned from two weeks in Afghanistan where he helped organize a hospital and rehabilitation center for wounded civilians.

He and Frank Nicholson of Greenwich, Conn., suggested putting together a project that would allow returning veterans to receive donated DVDs while in rehabilitation.

People who want to donate DVDs to veterans may send their DVDs to DVDs4Vets or to a nearby VA facility.

Facilities in Maine that would use such donations include:

Togus VA Medical Center, Augusta; Bangor Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Bangor; Bangor Vet Center, Bangor; Calais Outpatient Clinic, Calais; Caribou VA Outpatient Clinic, Caribou; Caribou Vet Center, Caribou; Lewiston Vet Center, Lewiston; Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Lincoln; Portland Vet Center, Portland; Rumford Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Rumford; Saco Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Saco; Sanford Vet Center, Springvale.

For information contact Scott Bowers, DVDs4Vets at 914-835-3673 or go to the Web site.