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The Founding of the D.O.V.E. Fund
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On Veterans Day, 1999, Ohio Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
summoned a local group of individuals to hear a plea via
conference call from then-Ambassador to Vietnam, former U.S. Air
Force Colonel and fighter pilot, Douglas “Pete” Peterson, who had
spent 7 1/2 years as a prisoner of war after being shot down during
the Vietnam War.
The Ambassador’s plea was simple: some 30 years after the war the
Vietnamese people were still in a poverty stricken state and in
dire need of outside help from somewhere, anywhere. His hope was
that American veterans of that war might find it in their hearts to
lend financial and developmental assistance to these people whom he
had come to love despite the harsh treatment he endured during his
captivity.
Those individuals were asked to solicit others to form a group and
focus on that plea. On January 12, 2000, The D.O.V.E. Fund –
comprised of a mixture of Vietnam Veterans and Rotarians - was
officially founded. The group chose the name for the global symbol of
peace, the dove and the acronym: Development of Vietnam Endeavors.
During weekly meetings that followed, the group decreed an official
mission statement:
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“Our goal is to provide humanitarian and development
assistance to areas in Vietnam, to promote communication,
education and cultural exchanges that reflect the best qualities of
both cultures. To create an environment brightened by hope
and sustained by peace.”
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The D.O.V.E. Fund’s history is brief yet brims with heartwarming
achievements. This website will offer you the opportunity to learn
more about the lives being changed and the bonds being formed as
indicated by the following accomplishments.
Since its founding The D.O.V.E. Fund has built over 44 schools,
including 11 daycare centers, three medical clinics, five major
water projects, conducted medical missions, implemented an Emergency Medicine
Residency Program and provided micro-finance programs for the poorest
women in Quang Tri Province. The D.O.V.E. Fund has also provided tuition
assistance to more than 500 children, conducted workshops for English
teachers, purchased computers, industrial sewing machines and other
equipment for the various schools they have built. They have also and provided
Braille computers and a Braille printer for the Hue School for the Blind
and funded two computer centers for high schools. Recently, 50
latrines were installed in Hai An commune by The D.O.V.E. Fund in cooperation
with Pulppy Company in Vietnam to provide hygienic conditions that
reduce illness throughout the region.
Another wing of The D.O.V.E. Fund is the Bandage Brigade whose
volunteers provide hand knitted bandages and relief supplies to the
various leper colonies banished to the mountainous areas of the
Asian nation.
The D.O.V.E. Fund raises funds through various events including an annual
auction and golf outing, speaking engagements, special appeals,
electronic contributions through our website, as well as book sales by
various D.O.V.E. Fund authors. Since the year 2000 The D.O.V.E. Fund has raised
over $2.5 million. To insure donors that their contributions are used
to specifically support The D.O.V.E. Fund mission, trustees and
friends of The D.O.V.E. Fund - at their own expense - make annual trips to Vietnam
to conduct onsite reviews of our in-progress and completed projects. In
addition, 100% of each donation reaches its destination for our
Vietnam projects.
The group summoned all those years ago not only successfully answered
that original plea to help heal that war-torn nation but has continued
to grow with advocates and veterans from all over the country. What
The D.O.V.E. Fund veterans didn’t realize at the time was that the
healing would not be simply limited to the Vietnamese people, but
that they too would be able to deal with the emotional wounds and
painful memories of the past.
It is clear that The D.O.V.E. Fund is leading the way in helping
propagate an important notion…that we are our brother’s keeper and
must do everything we can to help one another in times of need. Please
consider joining our mission by making a donation to The D.O.V.E.
Fund today.
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The D.O.V.E Fund Video
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Learn more about The D.O.V.E Fund, our
people, our mission, our projects &
More.
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NBC24 Coverage
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Learn more about The D.O.V.E Fund, our
people, our mission, our projects &
More.
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