State warns consumers about Virginia veterans charity

A Virginia veterans organization that is soliciting donations has failed to register with the state as required by law, according to the state Office of Consumer Affairs.
The office warned Virginians that Veterans Miracle Network, based in Stafford, had filed no documents as of Wednesday despite multiple requests to the charity. As a result, the state could not verify that donors' money would be used by the group for charitable purposes.
Veterans Miracle Network is affiliated with two other organizations: Operation Walk America and Project Foot.
An online search for Veterans Miracle Network brings up a website, www.operationwalkusa.webs.com, on which Stafford resident Mac McQuown identifies himself as the executive director of Veterans Miracle Network.
The site explains that he embarked on Sept. 11 to walk to the U.S. Capitol and all 50 states, which he expects to take five years. McQuown is doing it to raise money for wounded and homeless veterans through his own Veterans Miracle Network and Project Foot, another veterans charity, the site says.
Any charitable organizations that do fundraising in Virginia must file paperwork identifying themselves and their operators with the Office of Consumer Affairs, part of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Consumers who are solicited by a nonprofit group can check whether it registered properly by calling the Office of Consumer Affairs at (800) 552-9963 or visiting www.vdacs.virginia.gov/consumers/index.shtml and clicking on "charitable search."
 
Carolyn Shapiro, (757) 446-2270, carolyn.shapiro@pilotonline.com