SEBASTIAN — Veterans groups in Sebastian are on their own if they want to combat outside groups posing as legitimate non-profits trying to take Sebastian residents’ donations. The Sebastian City Council struck down a resolution 4-1 that would have encouraged business owners and managers to allow only local veterans groups to set up tables outside their storefronts and solicit donations.
“I believe the resolution was misinterpreted,” Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander Jerry Piper said during the Sebastian Veterans Advisory Committee meeting Monday afternoon.
The Sebastian City Council, with the exception of Councilwoman Andrea Coy, a retired Master Sergeant of the U.S. Army, voted against the resolution, voicing concern that the measure would have restricted businesses to only allowing select veterans groups and prohibiting others.
Cmdr. Piper said the resolution only urged businesses to verify a soliciting “veterans” group is actually legit and local before granting permission to set up a table.
“They didn’t understand what we were trying to do,” said American Legion member Ed Kilbane.
The committee has sought City Attorney Robert Ginsburg’s assistance to determine whether they could rewrite the resolution and resubmit to the council.
“It’s being looked into,” Cmdr. Piper said.
American Legion Commander Ed Irons said that many of the groups claiming to be non-profits assisting veterans are taking the money and pocketing most, if not all, of it for themselves. Many of the groups are from outside Indian River County, he added.
Coy was more forceful on the matter, calling the fake groups thieves.
“There are people out there who want to steal your money,” she said.
Coy served 21 years in the Army and is a staunch supporter of veterans issues in Sebastian. Her latest mission has been to educate the public as much as the business community about who they give their money to.
Many of the non-legit groups print up snazzy pamphlets and fliers and have printed documentation “proving” they are a 501(c)3.
“Anybody can do that,” Coy said. “And they do.”
At this point, there isn’t much Coy can do from a council standpoint. Having been on the losing end of the vote, she cannot ask her fellow members to reconsider their stance.
“The issue is done as far as I’m concerned,” she said, later adding, “I don’t challenge the will of the council.”
Now, she’s encouraging members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars to introduce themselves to local business owners and managers and encourage them to give the veterans groups a call when another organization approaches for approval to solicit outside their stores.
Cmdr. Irons said they plan to do just that.
“But it would be nice to have the city behind us,” he added.
In the meantime, Coy cautions would-be donors to “know before you throw.”
If you don’t know the organization or the person at the table, don’t give money – regardless of what charity the group claims to be.
“We’re very generous people in Sebastian,” she said. “But we’re also very gullible.”
“Don’t assume somebody in a military uniform is associated with the military,” Coy said, explaining that anyone can get a uniform.
Instead, Coy suggests residents donate directly to the local veterans groups, be it the Sebastian posts of the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars, or others based in Indian River County.
Cmdr. Irons said their groups don’t have the mechanisms in place just yet to take donations from the public but that is something they are working to remedy.
“The money should stay locally,” he said.
