By Bill Fortune, American Red Cross
Timothy Bartlett is a veteran of the U.S. Army who served 13 years as a helicopter crew chief. During his time in the Army he served around the world but after a series of accidents he left the Army disabled with bad back and knees, and PTSD. After a series of heartbreaking events, Tim found himself homeless in Aurora, Colorado. “I was living in an old Army shipping crate down by a creek and if it wasn’t for Barbara Martinez, who worked for the Veterans Administration and now volunteers with the American Red Cross, I would still be there.” Tim has pictures of his “home” in Aurora where he lived for eleven years. He now lives in Pueblo, CO, volunteering with several nonprofit organizations including the Center for American Values where he teaches children about the military experience. His home is decorated in patriotic memorabilia with flags, medals and photos of Medal of Honor recipients that he has met.
Tim has always been an avid bicyclist. His hope is to join a group of disabled veterans that ride from Cheyenne, WY to Taos, NM to raise money for wounded warriors. Unfortunately, injuries to his knees have made bicycling impossible unless he uses a recumbent bicycle. A recumbent bike would allow him to ride even with weakened leg strength. But, to get to that point he needs to exercise so the Red Cross stepped up to provide a table-top exercise unit that will help him build his upper body strength.
Tim was excited to receive the Red Cross support and recalled his first experience with the Red Cross after Hurricane Agnes in 1972. His family home was flooded out and the Red Cross provided shelter, food and other needs after that disaster.
“The top thing on my bucket list is to make that ride to Taos and help other veterans,” he said. “I want to continue to work in our community helping people in need.” Tim and others have started a nonprofit called Capture the Vision, a 501c.3 organizationsthat provides laundry services for homeless or needy people in the community.
Living alone and limited in mobility has put a strain on his physical and emotional health. The exercise unit has already made a difference in his life. After the first week, Tim called to thank the Red Cross and to say he has been using the exerciser every day and has already started to feel stronger and happier.
The Red Cross Service to Armed Forces program (SAF) has existed since 1900 and has served thousands of veterans over the years. The material services program within SAF has provided hundreds of items for disabled veterans from bicycles to laptops. The program is one of many programs that support active military, their families and veterans. If you would like to learn more about the Service to Armed Forces program please visit our website, www.redcross.org/SAF.
