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‘We Were Heartbroken’: Wounded Warrior Project Reportedly Refused to Take Church’s ‘Religious in Nature’ Donation

Feb. 1, 2013 5:43pm Jason Howerton

Wounded Warrior Project Reportedly Refused to Take Churchs Money

(Source: Fox News)

Wounded Warrior Project is refusing to accept a Florida Christian church’s money because it is “religious in nature,” Fox News’ Todd Starnes reports. Liberty Baptist Church and Academy, located in Fort Pierce, Fla., is also a K-12 school.

“We were heartbroken,” Pastor Wallace Cooley told Fox News.

It wasn’t until after Liberty Baptist Church and Academy had already paid a $100 registration fee to raise funds for Wounded Warrior Project that the they received an email from the non-profit organization.

“We must decline the opportunity to be the beneficiary of your event due to our fundraising event criteria, which doesn’t allow community events to be religious in nature,” WWP’s community events team wrote in an email. “Please note your registration fee will be refunded within the next 7-10 business days.”

Because Wounded Warrior Project considers itself to be a nonpartisan organization, the group says it can’t accept fundraising from companies “in which the product or message is religious in nature.”

The church was reportedly planning to accept a special offering on the last Sunday in February and students were collecting money from family and friends to give to WWP.

“We had to tell our children and parents we can’t give to the Wounded Warrior Project…We are second-class citizens now because we are people of faith,” Cooley told Fox News.

The pastor said the church anticipated bringing in roughly $50,000 for military veterans.

The email the church received from Wounded Warrior (Source: Fox News)

Fox News has more details:

A Wounded Warrior told Fox News they would look into the matter. The organization did not respond to subsequent telephone calls.

The fundraising project was a joint effort by the 400-member church and the 460 students who attend the academy. The pastor said he first learned about WWP by watching Fox News Channel.

“We appreciate the freedoms we enjoy in this country and the fact that our soldiers have fought for freedom of religion,” he said. “We teach patriotism in our school.”

Kindergarten teacher Tanya Sue Albritton posted a message on the Wounded Warrior Project Facebook page, explaining that her students were devastated.

“They were very sad,” she wrote. “One little girl wanted to know, ‘Why can’t we share with the soldiers?’”

“I was at a loss as to what I should tell her because I don’t understand it myself…Well, WWP, why can’t we share with the soldiers,” she added.

In delivering the news to his congregation, Pastor Cooley penned what he described as “one of the saddest letters I have ever had to write”:

“We are very disappointed that we, as a religious organization, are being discriminated against. But they are a private organization and have and should have the freedom to make their own rules.”

Cooley said the donations that were made have been returned and the church is currently looking for another veterans group to help — one that will accept their generous donation.

TheBlaze has reached out to Wounded Warrior Project and will update this story as additional information becomes available.

To read Fox News’ full report, click here.

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Comments (465)

garyg1
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:54pm
I wrote messages to the WWP and Bill O’Reilly. I don’t think they will like them. I was blunt so it would sink in. Let’s see, one word started with an F and the second started with a Y. Also, what they could do with the WWP in an area located about 3 feet below the back of their neck.

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SubHuman
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:53pm
WWP already had a brush with banning donations from firearms related sources last year. I’m done supporting WWP. Either they’re leftist filth or they hire morons. Either way our troops deserve better.

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- dealer@678
  Posted on February 2, 2013 at 10:32am
  test
  
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OldSurfRat
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:52pm
I have a child that was just sworn into the military and as much as it pains me to say this I WILL NEVER support Wounded Warrior Project again just because of this.
Damn shame! Just a damn shame because the only ones this hurts will be our heroes!

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DougHuffman
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:52pm
Applies as well here and to “wounded warriors”, if it’s free on-line, then you’re not the customer, you are the product. Believe nothing that one reads or hears without verifying it yourself unless it fits ones preexisting worldview (this latter clause excuses the invincibly ignorant).

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alrunner58
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:51pm
Who gives a crap where it comes from? Trace Adkins needs to get involved with this one.

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Guy_From_Michigan
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:48pm
Wow, I can not believe this. I have to rethink my monthly automated donation of 50$.

I have been on the 50$ a month plan for over 3 years now, man I really do not want to punish the Vets that need my help but this BS is just over the top.

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RightThinking1
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:47pm
Go here to check on efficiency of Wounded Warriors
http://www.charitynavigator.org/ search Wounded Warriors
At the bottom of the page that you get to, you will see a list of similar organizations, all of which seem to score higher. Next year it will be the North Carolina outfit, Hope For The Warriors will get our $.

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s_usa_n
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:40pm
What the H E double hockey sticks is going on in this world?!

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PLAINSMAN
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:39pm
Who am i going to give to now? oreily is not going to like this. sameritans purse will take it without complaining.

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PeteOH
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:37pm
Fools! I really appreciate the WWP… However, the stupid irony here is that you would have a hard time finding a “Wounded Warrior” that’s NOT a person of faith, let alone, NOT a Christian. Of course, when WWP asks me to donate next time, I’ll simply reply that “I am a Christian and, since they don’t want to be affiliated with Christians, I’ll simply send my money to a local Christian based charity. I know that I’m over-simplifying this, but how stupid are they?! In fact, I’m grovin’ on http://www.fisherhouse.org

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IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:31pm
I hope this is not true. A lot of people who are religious have donated to the Wounded Warriors. We cannot separate our personal life and our religious life as without both we are nothing.

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Iam4America
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:30pm
Political correctness seems to be more important in today’s society.

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jungle J
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:29pm
The progressive nature of the WWP has got to go. I personally have given and or raised over a thousand dollars…no more. They are starting to act like VVA did after it first started and was led by mueller. The prince’s and princess’s have let it go to their head. Their best friend is the church

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PLAINSMAN
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:26pm
WHO ELSE CAN I SEND MY MONEY TOO? it wont be WWP. oriely is not going to be very happy. im going to have to find someplace else like sameritan purse or something.

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Olaf
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:25pm
The WWP also dose not accept help from alcohol or firearms industries. Here is their policy:

“WWP does not co-brand, create cause marketing campaigns or receive a percentage or a portion of proceeds from companies in which the product or message is sexual, political or religious in nature, or from alcohol or firearms companies.”

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SolitudeBliss
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:21pm
Bleep Political Correctness. Our Wounded Warriors can use this money, Wounded Warriors – TAKE IT !

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Jnuke
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:19pm
CEO and anyone participating in this decision should be fired immediately. It’s going to be hard to recover for them but this would be a good start.

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Chromo200
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:19pm
Again our G.I.s get scr$wed because of the stupid PC crowd. I wonder what O’Rielly will say about this. I quit watch him so I would not know.

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RightThinking1
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:18pm
My response was to email them at : got@woundedwarriorproject.org
And here is the letter:

If the substance of this article ( http://nation.foxnews.com/wounded-warriors/2013/02/01/wounded-warrior-refuses-accept-money-church ) is true, please let me know. You see, my wife and I are retirees on a fixed moderate income, and must carefully consider to whom we make our limited charitable contributions. In our case, we consider all of our contributions as tithes of sorts, simply because we are moved as Christians to care for our brethren, and particularly our service people who make such sacrifices for us.

My point is this, if you are unable to accept contributions that are a consequence of Christian (or any other) faith activities, then please tell us now so that you will be unburdened by any contribution next year. I am sure that we can find another veteran’s organization to support.

For the record, please feel free to check on our modest contributions of the past.
(signed)

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HotFixIt
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:17pm
They definitely came down on the wrong side of the fence on this one…. what pinhead made this stupid decision? I really wonder what Bill O’Reilly is going to have to say about it… should be interesing.

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Cybil
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:15pm
Steven Nardizzi is the CEO. 55% of donation actually go towards wounded warriors. His annual salary is $319,692. He was educated as a lawyer in Brooklyn, New York.

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SIXFRIGATES
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:15pm
Now maybe they’ll pull the Trace Adkins commercials that air every 5 mins on every friggin channel.

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avgconservative
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:13pm
Guys! What part of, “…be as shrewd as snakes.” don’t you understand?

You want to give to Wounded Warriors, bring in a bunch of individual donation gifts, and give them individually to the Wounded Warriors!

I get so embarrassed by the stupidity of my fellow Christians sometimes. It’s like what Ronald Reagan said, “There is no limit to what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”

Church… please… you don’t have to take credit.

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SIXFRIGATES
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:12pm
Charity itself is religious in nature. **** ‘Em. I’ll give my money elsewhere now. WAY TO GO PC CROWD!

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SocialistSlayer
Posted on February 1, 2013 at 6:12pm
No More Wounded Warrior for me !!!! All these charities are money making scams !!!

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