When Jack Mc Elveen was presented with a motorized scooter during a ceremony at Veterans Hall last Friday, he could hardly believe it.

“I was sort of flabbergasted,” said Mc Elveen, a U.S. Navy veteran and La Verne resident. “No one had ever done anything like that for me. And I really appreciate it.”

For Mc Elveen, the scooter represents something simple but powerful: independence.

The first trip he’s planning? Getting his mail.

“It’s a quarter of a mile away,” Mc Elveen said. “I can barely walk. I walk with a cane, but I can’t walk very far.” He’s also looking forward to crossing the street to his community clubhouse to take part in activities he hasn’t easily been able to attend.

Mc Elveen received the scooter during a recent ceremony at Veterans Hall organized by the La Verne Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12034 "Band of Brothers."

This scooter made its way to La Verne through a chain of veteran-led organizations committed to serving those who served. It began its journey when the Military Order of the Cootie donated it to Wheels for Warriors, a program operated by Adopt A Risk Veteran, a Lancaster, California-based nonprofit founded by Army veteran John Meyer.

“I’ve never given a veteran a scooter before,” said Simone Silva, a peer support specialist with the Veteran Peer Access Network, which is part of the Los Angeles County Military and Veterans Affairs Office. Silva, a retired sergeant from the California Army National Guard, helped coordinate the donation. Brock Milhorn, a U.S. Navy veteran and squad leader with VPAN, picked up the scooter and brought it to La Verne.

Meyer said motorized scooters typically cost between $500 and $800, and this one marked the 197th scooter Adopt A Risk Veteran has distributed in the past 10 months.

"We figure that between now and the end of the year, we'll get up to the point where we're doing somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 scooters a month," Meyer said.

Silvia said she wasn't expecting the ceremony La Verne VFW's set up. "I showed up, and I was blown away," she said. “We get a lot of veterans who don’t have many opportunities to feel special as an individual,” Silva said. “We were able to do a service for this gentleman; we were able to make it feel special.”

Meyer said the effort reflects a broader belief shared by those involved in the program.

"You know, veterans are not a number," Meyer said. "They're people."

Additional information and resources

Veterans Resource Center, La Verne
La Verne Community Center, 3680 D St., La Verne
A Veterans Service Officer is on site at the La Verne Community Center on Mondays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. to assist veterans and their families.

Services offered: 
° VA Disability and Pension Benefits
° VA Survivors' Benefits
° Cal Vet College Fee Waiver 

To schedule an appointment, call the Community Center at (909) 596-8776.

Veteran Peer Access Network (VPAN)
Request VPAN services
Contact intake@mva.lacounty.gov

Adopt A Risk Veteran (AARV)
Call John Meyer at (661) 208-0863
More information

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