Target Stores Won't Fund Veterans Projects-Truth! & Fiction!

Summary of the eRumor
The message urges not buying anything at Target stores because the company turned down a request for funds for a Vietnam veterans memorial wall. It says that a man named Dick Forrey of the "Vietnam Veterans Association" asked a local Target store for the donation and was told that ve

The Truth
Dick Forrey is listed as being with Howard County Vietnam Veterans in the state of Indiana. He says that he did have the experiences both with the local Target store and the Target corporate offices as is described in the story.

The Target company is sending a written response to people who inquire about this story that says that Target gives $2 million per week in the communities where stores are located. The Target letter says a veteran approached a local store in March, 2002 for a $100 donation to a "moving wall" project. The response says that any donations by local stores are not in cash but in gift certificates or volunteer time. Cash is given by the corporate office and in response to official requests for grants. The letter says that the veteran who asked for the donation should have been given grant information from the store, but was not. The Target response also says that the company makes donations in three general areas: education, arts and family violence prevention. The company is happy to donate to any veterans causes that would fit within those guidelines. So while it's true that donations would not be given to a veterans project per se, they would be given if the veterans project is within the guidelines.