American GI Forum of California

The AGIF/CA has been in existence since 1958 in California, and is a subsidiary of the much larger AGIF of the U.S. that was established in 1948 by Dr. Hector P. García in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The AGIF/CA, with its mission to alleviate, through education, unfortunate conditions and situations within our communities, and those conditions also affecting Veterans and families, continues to function today as it did when it was founded in 1958 in California.

The AGIF/CA's work is mainly geared to a four-prong effort:

One: Veterans’ Issues:  They are now being addressed mainly through the AGIF/CA Veterans Outreach Program (VOP).  Funds  derived from private sources and corporations through the VOP are distributed to those chapters working closely with Veterans and families, especially now for wounded and disabled, recently discharged Veterans from on-going wars.

Two: Civil Rights Issues:  The AGIF has and continues to work with our own civil rights representative, MALDEF, and other community groups on immigration, police brutality cases, redistricting, discrimination, schools, university issues, and on Veterans’ legal issues.

Three: Educational Endeavors:  All of the 23 California Forum and Women’s chapters continue to fundraise to award educational grants for those community youth pursuing higher educational goals.  Approximately 300 scholarship grants are awarded by the AGIF/CA chapter organizations each year.

Four: Health Initiative:  The AGIF serves and coordinates efforts with health providers to better accommodate Veterans, families, and the low-income communities to become aware and receive appropriate care and medications.  This is currently being done at a drug and alcohol treatment abuse center and a primary health clinic operated by two chapters.  Veterans’ health issues include PTSD, TBI, and other invisible wounds causing depression, domestic violence, and suicide.

The AGIF/CA is involved, above and beyond that already mentioned, in political legislation in support of community issues on behalf of Veterans, members, and the community at large.

Many of our chapters are now non-profit 501(c)3 federally exempt organizations, becoming self-sustaining, procuring their own funds to benefit the four-prong mission of our Forum’s community involvement.

We continue to recommend that each chapter and their membership not only follow the AGIF/CA mission, but to venture out and pursue other avenues to assist in issues and programs pertinent to their communities.

Willie Galvan, State Commander

American GI Forum of California