The War Amps Program is celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year and continues to support amputees across Canada. 

The Key Tag Service was launched in 1946 so that returning war amputee veterans could find work at competitive wages making the key tags that have been helping Canadians locate their lost keys over the decades. The program also generates funds for the association’s many programs.

One of those programs is CHAMP, The War Amps Child Amputee Program which provides prosthetics and support for child amputees.

Cochrane’s own Jerlena Rittwage is a member of CHAMP. Jerlena describes herself matter-of-factly as, “Fourteen years old, I like to hang out with my friends and play video games and I have one hand.”

When asked what she thinks of CHAMP she says, “It’s really nice, it helps to support kids who need that kind of support and it helps to show that you are not alone in like missing a limb and that there are other people who have the same disability as you or at least similar.”

James Jordan with The War Amps says, “When it comes to the Child Amputee Program, it is two main things. It is that financial assistance for any kid of any device to literally do anything that they put their mind to. Then we have our seminars to support them emotionally.” For example, Jordan says there are sessions that take care of mental health and helping amputees deal with teasing and staring, and making sure that kids have a chance to talk about those issues. There are senior amputees that provide advice, mentor, and peer council the younger amputees.

Jordan says, “In Jerlena’s case, I know she has attended many seminars and benefitted greatly from that as a lot of amputees have across the country.”

After 75 years, the service continues to employ amputees and people with disabilities and provide support for many. It has returned more than 1.5 million sets of lost keys to the rightful owners. It is important to know that The War Amps program does not receive any grants from the government and the programs are possible solely through the public support received for the Key Tag and Address Label Service.

So, how does it work? You request a tag that has a confidentially coded number. If you lose your keys and tag, the finder can call the toll-free number on the back of the tag or place them in any mailbox in Canada and The War Amps will return them to you, by courier, free of charge. The is no charge for the tags, however, if you choose to donate to the service, it is gratefully accepted. Again, the funds from the service go to keeping the program going and supporting the other programs like the CHAMP Program.

So, the next time you receive The War Amps Key Tags in the mail, remember that your donation could be benefitting an amputee close to home just like Jerlena Rittwage.

For more information on The War Amps or to request key tags, click here.