Department Projects
The AZDAV 2026-2029 Three Year Plan:
Supporting Chapters and Communities
FY2026 Department Projects
January 2026
Vehicles for the Volunteer Transportation Network
One of the cost factors in running the transportation network at our three VA hospitals is that the vehicles currently in service are multi-passenger Transit vans. While these are good for transporting multiple patients, such as in the local areas around the hospital, they are not as suitable—or efficient—for transporting one or two patients. With the number of patients living in rural areas and needing transportation as a relatively high percentage of our population, the TC/HSCs have requested Explorers as a more suitable solution for those more remote patients. This is especially true with the NAVAHCS (Prescott) VTN because of the inclement weather that occurs during the winter months and a 4WD Explorer adds a measure of safety for both drivers and passengers.
February 2026
Handicap Access to Chapter 8 Building
DAV East Valley Chapter 8 serves a large area east of Phoenix, from the 101 east loop eastward to 30 miles east of Globe and from Fountain Hills down to Sun Lakes. This population has a high percentage of retirees and 55+ communities, many of whom are older Veterans. In order to remediate a safety concern, the chapter requested help from Department to install handicap door buttons both outside and inside to help keep Veterans from having difficulty with the front door or falling.
February 2026
Globe is served by Chapter 8 – an hour and a half drive from Mesa. Because of the distance, DAV services were once every two months. At other times, claimants had to drive to Mesa or the VA Southeast Clinic in Gilbert. The Globe Elks Lodge 489 volunteered to provide Internet access for the videoconferencing station free of charge and provide a secure space for our equipment. Linda Merlin, one of Chapter 8’s very active members, manages the site, which currently serves Veterans and their survivors twice each month--a 300% increase in service!
March 2026
Tablet "Kits" for CSOs/DSOs
Department launched an initiative to assist Chapters in fulfilling the admonition by National Commander Nee. The program provided "Tablet Kits" to each CSO/DSO to use them for doing claims work, especially that work outside the Chapter House. The only thing not included in the kits is the Internet, although many people can use their cellular phone as a hotspot or can use guest accounts at various locations. The kits are provided with two options—one option for those more comfortable using Window-based computers, and one option for those more comfortable with Mac/iPad use. There is NO COST to the Chapters for these kits!
March 2026
Department was contacted in December, 2025, by Sara Josley, President of the All-Navajo Veterans Auxiliary. She indicated that the community and the surrounding area desired services to assist Veterans with VA issues. There are no current DAV Chapters within reasonable traveling distance to provide in-person services to Veterans in the Navajo Nation with a single state highway for access, located 300+ miles NE of Phoenix. The Reservation had limited resources (poor cell service, limited startup funding, no Internet at the proposed location), so Department installed a remote claims station in Piñon with the addition of a Starlink Internet system, for which Department will pay the first two years of service. Since the first week of March, Navajo Veterans have been served by CSOs twice each week, with more to come as more CSOs/DSOs get trained on doing remote claims!
Click image to see video
April 2026
In-Kind Donations Supporting the new Arizona Veterans Resource Center
In January of this year, the new Arizona Veterans Resource Center, built from the ashes of the old Azura Veterans Coalition and the old Mesa Veterans Resource Center, opened its doors at a new facility in Mesa. The Center continues to build out the inside of the cavernous space to provide segmentation for a variety of resources. The Center currently only operates a limited set of manned resource experts but continues to move forward.
Department of Arizona provided 10 Macbook Neo computers for the Center, supporting claims work, resume and job search programs, online access for Veterans to connect with the VA, and more. Manpower from local chapters will assist in the Center's buildout work, so that the East Valley will again have a vital Veteran resource available.
May - June 2026
Chapter Initiatives to Expand Services to Area Veterans
After National Commander Nee’s visit to Arizona in December 2025, chapters are developing initiatives to expand their outreach and service to the Veteran communities in their areas. These project proposals are submitted to the Department Adjutant for consolidation prior to review by the Finance Committee. A standardized form is required that designates responsible chapter officer(s), estimated costs, project collaborators (such as Home Depot, for example), and estimated project schedule and milestones. $50,000 is allocated for grants to chapters to execute their projects, with a maximum grant to a chapter of $10,000. This is to fund outreach and service at the chapter level through the end of FY 2026. Projects have included a safety upgrade to deteriorating restroom dividers in one chapter, and an innovative program in conjunction with a local dentist bringing dental care to Veterans who are not eligible for VA dental services!
May 2026
Donation to the Unified Arizona Veterans Scholarship Program
Historically, funding for the UAV Veteran Scholarships came from annual donations and grants by various agencies and organizations. To provide a stable, long-term funding source for these scholarships, the UAV Veteran Scholarship Program was created. Starting in 2026, the founders of UAV—DAV, VFW, and American Legion (“Big 3”)—will each provide $30,000 over a three-year period to the program. At the end of the three-year period, this fund will exceed $100,000, at which point the program will fund the three $5,000 scholarships from dividend revenue without impacting the program's principal. DAV Department of Arizona will provide $15,000 per year into this fund over the next two years.
June 2026
With the resounding success of the remote claims program in Piñon, the demand for claims service has rocketed upward as more and more Navajo Veterans learn of the success from their fellow Veterans. In June 2026, Department will again travel to the Navajo Nation--this time to Kayenta, in the north--and install a remote claims station with a Starlink Internet system, for which Department will pay the first two years of service.
June 2026
Handicap-capable Golf Cart for Transporting Veterans at SAVAHCS (Tucson)
The Tucson VA (SAVAHCS) requested assistance from Department of Arizona to acquire handicapped-capable golf carts—golf carts with wheelchair lifts—for patient transport on the SAVAHCS Campus. Provided that the initial cart meets usage requirements and doesn’t just sit and collect dust, a second such golf cart is planned to be purchased in September 2026.
