Portrait of A Warrior Gallery Kern County

Not only are we aiming to accomplish the Portrait Memorial to our 27 Fallen Purple Heart Awardees, yet we are also wanting to provide resources to our Veterans within our community. Additionally, we are brining awareness about Veteran Suicide and the impact that this is having all across the country. We work daily to improve our honoring of Gulf War, Vietnam, Korean, & WWII Veterans within our community as well.

Our Vision would be for every county in California to take what we have done and determine a way to honor their Post 9/11 Fallen Heroes in a similar way.

We are putting together a data base for all of the state and will provide all of our detailed research to each county to execute a plan of their choosing.

Always Remembered Never Forgotten

The unique way that we are able to provide this 5,000' gallery for free to our community 5 days a week is through annual recurring sponsorships of our 27 portraits at $1200 per portrait.

Additionally, we have an Education Room, which is sponsored annually at $7500.

There are three additional room sponsored at $5000 each: Resource Room, Vietnam Room and Team Room.

There are further development ideas that the Board of Directors is working on to expand our ability to honor in greater detail our Gulf Way, Korean and WWII Veterans Memorial Wall, and Missing in Action Remembered Memorial within our community.

Fundraising of course through efforts like Give Big Kern and other local opportunities which are small effort and big return.

Grants are another opportunity which we have secured a grant writer looking for state and federal opportunities for the Gallery as well.

We are already implementing the plan above and are reviewing in detail annual expenses and budgets to be able not only to keep the gallery open, but also to expand our ability to honor and educate our community and get more involvement and volunteerism to continue this great organization.

Fortunately, we worked with the Veterans Administration and applied to be a VA Work Study Site where we are approved currently to be a non-VA facility where we have been granted to utilization of 5 Post 9/11 Veterans who are 3/4 or full-time in college at local universities or colleges and are allowed and paid for up to 25 hours per week - funded by the VA - while these Veteran Students are attending school.

Their role is to give tours of the gallery / clean and upkeep / special projects / referrals to the Kern County Vet Center and Kern Veterans Service Office for Veterans in need of benefit information.

Great Project and provides us with free Docents for the Gallery.

2022 UPDATE:
POW completed and unveiled 27 Portraits of Kern County Post 9/11 Heroes.

Secured excellent outdoor lighting, purchased a search light that lights up the Bakersfield sky during special events. Supporting and developing a Korean, a WWII Memorial Wall, and completing a WWII Remembered Wall, unveiling last 10 portraits, and secured a Freedom/Liberty Bell to be rang during Veteran events and Holidays.

POW is the fiscal sponsor for the Missing in Action Remembered organization that will display 82,332 dog tags by name with each MIA Service Member missing since service from WWII to present. This will be the very first place all of these dog tags will be shown in one place at one time.

The gallery was awarded the Downtown Bakersfield Association 2018 Renovation Building of the Year from the city.