By LOIS KINDLE
My Warrior’s Place, a retreat center for American heroes in Ruskin, has recently announced a new resource called Operation Tango Yankee.
“Operation Tango Yankee is radio-speak for thank you,” said My Warrior’s Place founder/CEO Kelly Kowall. “It’s for active-duty military, law enforcement and firefighters, veterans and families of the fallen.
“It’s an online, searchable database of businesses and nonprofit groups that support our American heroes in one way or another. Many of these organizations already offer discounts and/or services but don’t effectively promote them, so they’re not very well known. We want those who have given so much to our country to be able to easily access and utilize whatever support is available.”
My Warriors Place kicked off this initiative two weeks ago and is currently building the database.
Now’s the time for businesses and nonprofits to get listed on it. While the database at https://www.otyusa.org/ is free for nonprofit groups to showcase their services and use for fundraising purposes, there are four different donation levels a business can choose to promote its various benefits and also support My Warrior’s Place.
The donations are tax-deductible, and My Warrior’s Place issues a receipt.
“We’re really excited to offer this platform to listed businesses and nonprofits to drive more business to them,” Kowall said.
Nonprofit groups in the database can have the added benefit of having My Warrior’s Place supply them with marketing materials to increase their exposure, items like fliers and business cards. They can post pictures, videos and post events online, as well.
All these organizations need do is enlist businesses already supporting them to join the database. They’ll net 40% of every resulting donation, My Warrior’s Place will net 40%, and the remainder will be utilized for maintenance of the website.
Kowall noted businesses in the database can also promote themselves with photos, coupons and upcoming events.
“Our ultimate goal is to take this nationwide,” Kowall said. “All nonprofits and businesses in our database will be vetted to ensure they’re legit, active and listed in Sunbiz or other state registry.
LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
Over the past two years, My Warrior’s Place founder/CEO Kelly Kowall has developed a new, searchable database called Operation Tango Yankee for American heroes to use as a resource for finding businesses and nonprofit groups that support them. It’s also a vehicle for these same organizations to highlight such support and help My Warrior’s Place at the same time.
“The Operation Tango Yankee database provides one central location where American heroes can go,” she added. “It’s kind of like Facebook and Yellow Pages marry and have a super baby.”
For more information, call (813) 321-0880 or visit https://www.otyusa.org/.
About My Warrior’s Place
The My Warrior’s Place retreat center is at 101 22nd Street NW, No. 112, Ruskin. By providing a relaxed setting and special programs, the retreat honors, supports and promotes healing of the minds and spirits of veterans, active military members, law enforcement officers, firefighters and Gold Star, Blue Star and Silver Star families.
In early 2023, the retreat announced it was moving to newly purchased land in Punta Gorda due to a road dispute with Hillsborough County.
“We were going to sell and leave,” Kowall said. “But thanks to a benefactor who was a former participant in one of our programs and a real estate investor, plus the outpouring support of an outraged community, we were able to get the survey changes and creative solutions we needed to be able to stay.”
For more information on My Warrior’s Place, visit www.mywarriorsplace.org/, email info@mywarriorsplace.org or call 813-321-0880.
