The 61st annual conference of the American GI Forum recently held in Corpus Christi marks a good time to stand back and reflect upon the good work being done not only by AGIF but individuals and companies across America who are working to make America a better place to live.
AGIF was established in Corpus Christi in 1948 by Dr. Hector P. Garcia to address the concerns of Mexican-American veterans who were segregated from other veterans groups. Back then World War II veterans of Mexican descent were denied medical services by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
But that was just the beginning.
The AGIF soon spread into non-veterans issues such as voting rights jury selection and educational desegregation advocating for the civil rights of all Mexican Americans. It operates chapters throughout the country and has women and youth auxiliaries involved in a wide range of activities.
Two of our largest programs are the Veterans Outreach Program (VOP) and Ser-Jobs for Progress Inc. (SER). Both offer training counseling and employment opportunities for veterans.
AGIF is also interested in education. Through its youth auxiliary it works with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund to raise money for college scholarships and support educational outreach support programs throughout various communities.
AGIF is not alone in its efforts to keep our country strong and we dont hesitate to highlight the work of volunteers and good corporate citizens who are investing their time and money to move America forward even in todays challenging economy.
For example AT&T recently issued is 2008 Citizenship and Sustainability Report. Last year the company launched a $100 million program called AT&T Aspire to help stem the U.S. high school dropout crises. That program included $400000 grants each to the Corpus Christi Independent School District and Harlandale Independent School District in San Antonio.
AT&T employees and retirees volunteered more than 10 million hours of their time to improve communities where they live and work.
We mention AT&T because it has also been a strong military supporter through its AT&T Veterans employee resource group Cell Phones for Soldiers community outreach program hiring practices and other activities that benefit veterans.
It is one example of a company that shares many of the same values and goals that AGIF lives by.
From its beginning AGIF encouraged volunteers to take an active role in making our country and communities great. Hector Garcia believed in the American dream and lived it.
We are proud of our heritage and encourage others to invest in people lead with integrity and strengthen our communities by working together whether your goal is to improve life for returning veterans or simply to improve conditions within your own community.
Robert Flores is director of public relations and government affairs for the American GI Forum of Texas.
