In St. Petersburg, Florida, Tim Virgilio is using autographs to help homeless and disabled veterans through his nonprofit ‘Signatures for Soldiers.’ Burdened by the struggles facing many of our veterans, Virgilio combined his passion for collecting autographs with his enormous respect for the military and came up with a way to connect the two through his organization. According to FOX 13, since its inception, Signatures for Soldiers has donated more than $200,000 to organizations that support veterans.
Virgilio’s respect for the military has always been a part of his life. His father served in the Air Force before Virgilio was born, and he knows the sacrifices veterans make to protect our freedom. A big fan of baseball, Virgilio reached out to baseball players to see if they would be willing to sign baseball cards from his collection with proceeds from sales going to support veterans. Now, his autograph collection includes athletes not just from baseball, but also from basketball, football, hockey, and racing. Though it is challenging to get autographs in the first place, Virgilio shared that once he explains what the signature is for, many athletes sign their autographs.
For the last few years, Signatures for Soldiers was partnered with Military Missions in Action, an organization that supports disabled veterans and their families. Since the passing of Tim’s partner at Military Missions in Action in 2021, Virgilio established Signatures for Soldiers as its own charity in 2022. According to FOX 13, they recently donated 25 full bed sets to formerly homeless veterans.
Giving back to veterans through a passion of his own, Virgilio is inspiring others to take time to thank our veterans. From the athletes signing their autographs to those purchasing the items for the cause, Signatures for Soldiers is helping to spread awareness of the struggles of our veterans and the importance of showing them respect and gratitude.