Dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. Accomplished by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America's injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government; Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically; Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government; Extending DAV's mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local Chapters; and Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.