USAtogether.org matches veterans with needs

A soldier from Minnesota sustained severe burns in Iraq and, jobless after his discharge, couldn't afford a washing machine. Likewise, a married couple of veterans from Maine had no money to buy diapers and clothes for their two baby sons.

Gene Rader, a former Marine sergeant from Philadelphia with two tours of combat in Iraq and a Purple Heart, was in similar straits. He was able to rent an apartment but not furnish it.

All of them finally received what they needed by taking an unusual step: They posted their stories and specific requests on USAtogether.org, which matches needy injured veterans with benefactors across the nation.

For most veterans, a culture of self-reliance makes asking for any kind of assistance the last option, said Rader, 26, who lives in Northeast Philadelphia. "We're trained to refrain from that," he said.

But a few months ago, struggling to pay his bills, Rader, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, realized that "at this point in my life, I just needed help."

On USAtogether.org, founded in December by a group of Silicon Valley professionals, help comes from strangers. Visitors to the Web site can view profiles of veterans, most including a photo, or search for requests by zip code and other criteria.

Potential donors can decide whom to help and how. For example, lawyers offer free legal assistance, while carpenters take care of renovation work without charging a cent.

The project is the brainchild of Dave Mahler, 63, a Pittsburgh native who made enough in the software business in California to engage in philanthropy. The spark, he said, came one day as he drove past the Veterans Affairs hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., a route he had taken almost daily for 25 years, and heard a radio report of rising casualties in Iraq.

When he asked the hospital what kind of support veterans really needed, he learned that people often reach out when they hear personal accounts of the hardships veterans sometimes face.

"I figured the Internet could actually do it," said Mahler, who quickly found other unpaid volunteers willing to create and maintain the Web site.

USATogether has no office. Its volunteers work from home, and the organization takes no overhead from donations. Its 2008 federal tax return lists donations to veterans for child care, rent, medical supplies, clothing, food, and home and car repairs.

A caseworker at the VA hospital in Philadelphia suggested Rader check out the site. When he called USAtogether, he kept his request modest. All he wanted, he said, was a couch and, if possible, a rocking chair.

Rader grew up in Roxborough and later moved to Marlton. He joined the Marines shortly after 9/11.

"I just wanted to defend my country," he said.

In 2004, when Rader was leading a machine-gun squad in Iraq, a roadside bomb exploded next to his humvee. He received traumatic brain injury and second-degree burns.

Back home, his post-traumatic stress disorder was diagnosed. He suffers from memory loss. Some day, he hopes, he will be able to go to college.

But several months ago, Rader's most urgent need was a comfortable place to sit in his living room. He provided documentation for his service and injury to the USAtogether.org staff.

Within 48 hours after his profile went online, an anonymous benefactor donated $1,000 for Rader to go furniture shopping.

He made his picks at a store close to his apartment, and the salesman gave him a sizable discount when he heard his story. USATogether took care of the bill; the organization never hands out checks.

"It was all so quick and easy. They got rid of all that bureaucracy. I was left speechless," Rader said.

So far, USAtogether has matched donors with more than 150 veterans and their families, including a half-dozen in the Philadelphia area.

Last month, Mahler was invited to the Pentagon to receive a Newman's Own Award, which late actor Paul Newman's food company gives to charities supporting wounded troops. The award came with a $15,000 grant, which, Mahler said, he intended to use to collaborate with other veterans-service organizations.

"We are no giant operation," he said, "but this is probably the most emotional thing I ever did. Technology is personal here, and hearing those veterans' stories takes a toll."