Did you know that as an I.U.P.A. member you qualify for Union Plus benefits, including the Union Plus Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program? You absolutely can and it is a very valuable benefit! All new and returning students who enroll through Union Plus in the current Bachelor’s Degree Completion Programs are eligible for a last-dollar scholarship, which allows students to complete their degree (through graduation) with no out-of-pocket costs for tuition, fees, or e-books. Now Enrolling For Classes Starting August 16, 2021! Flyer https://dta0yqvfnusiq.cloudfront.net/union17170383/2021/01/UP-BA2021-5ff370fc35a63.pdf Click here to get started. https://bachelorsdegree.unionplus.org/contact-form/

How one athletic trainer is improving the health and well-being of first responders Luis Rivera saw a problem. A big one. A firefighter in Milwaukee had been struggling with a nagging shoulder injury for more than a year. Rivera, an athletic trainer who worked with elite athletes, had seen this same kind of injury dozens of times before and couldn’t believe this firefighter was still in pain. Rivera knew he had to help. And he did. Using the principles of sports medicine, Rivera connected the firefighter with the right healthcare professionals, who helped him recover. Word spread, and it quickly became known [...]

Vitality aims to safeguard the well-being of public safety workers Rebound, a healthcare company devoted to delivering high-quality, expedited injury recovery to public safety workers and their families, this year launched a new innovative wellness division, Vitality. Vitality harnesses technology, data, education, and training programs to protect the well-being of first responders through safe movement analysis and remediation, muscle recovery, oncology and cancer assessments, and behavioral health support. Vitality leverages the latest healthcare technology, including a digital training platform that has shown to be an effective tool in helping users stick with both therapy and training to reach their goals. Since incorporating [...]

The Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association has a long history of doing good things in their community, not only when they put on their uniforms, but within their community to make it a better place for everyone. Most recently, they received a donation of dolls for children, so they packed them into their cruisers and took them on patrol with them, giving them out to some very thankful youngsters.     A few of the many previous community events they have led include cookies with Girl Scouts and Veterans, the Polar Plunge to raise money for the Special Olympics, and they distributed [...]

The Henry Rifle was invented by Benjamin Tyler Henry who was born in Claremont, New Hampshire in 1821 to a prominent and prosperous family. His grandfather invented the wry-fly water wheel and his cousin perfected the water-wheel design, which allowed paper and textile mills to flourish throughout their town. That is why it is no surprise that Henry became an inventor himself, when he invented the repeating rifle, which revolutionized the world of firearms and the world in general.  Click here to read more about the history of Benjamin Tyler Henry on ammo.com.  

Trying to decide what to do on your next vacation? We’ve rounded up some fun ideas to answer the who, what and where of how to travel next.   When you're traveling with kids, any trip can feel like you’re planning a mission to Mars. Whether you’re traveling by land, sea or air, executing your travel plan takes forward thinking and precision to ensure a successful trip. When the kids are involved, organization is the key. At Heroes Vacation Club, we've come up some helpful tips to help make your next trip a success.  Involve Everyone  A successful trip requires strategic planning and buy-in from by everyone [...]

A Wisconsin native, Daniel Roufus—a member of IUPA Local21—is accustomed to hunting large whitetails. Deer hunting grew into a passion for him after his father-in-law introduced him to the sport, which he is now passing on to his son. Waterfowl hunting wasn’t really his thing, he said, until he experienced it on a once-in-a-lifetime Long Island waterfowl adventure as a guest on the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance’s Brotherhood Outdoors TV series. Roufus is a steelworker turned police officer. As a Milwaukee Police Department Harbor Patrol Officer, Roufus serves his community on the same waterways where he enjoys fishing. His role in the community [...]

I attended my first National Police Week in May of 2005, I was a lost broken 28 year old widow. My husband, Marion County (OH) Sheriff’s Deputy Brandy Winfield, was murdered the previous year on October 14, 2004. He was shot in the back of the head while giving a disabled motorist a ride home. During that next seven months I was run rampant from one fundraiser to the next, from memorial service to award service, the media followed me at each event wanting that perfect photo of the grieving widow crying. I was exhausted and had not even taken [...]

Eight year old Max Titkemeier touched law enforcement officers across the nation profoundly recently when he raised money for the family of fallen Toledo Police Officer Brandon Stalker by selling hot cocoa. Max said that he especially wanted to help the family when he heard that the officer had children and that one of them was the very same age as Max. Further, that was not the first time this caring and thoughtful young man tried to help the family of a Toledo officer either. Last summer, he hosted a lemonade stand fundraiser for the family of fallen Toledo Police Officer [...]

Did you know you can have a charitable deduction up to $300 this tax year without itemizing?  This amount doubles for married couples.  As of 2017, with the passing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, millions of taxpayers were no longer able to itemize or write off their unreimbursed employee expenses.  The standard deduction for Married Filing Jointly for the 2020 tax season is $24,800 and $12,400 for Single filers.  Most taxpayers are limited by these restrictions and therefore have not claimed charitable contributions the last few years.  This charitable deduction will apply to the 2021 tax season as well [...]