Celebrating 70 Years with Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services

Cara Day
Director of Programs & Communications
National Headquarters

This year the VA is celebrating the chartering of the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Services (VAVS), the formal system for volunteers to serve veterans in VA facilities. The VFW Auxiliary is a charter member of the VAVS and one of the largest providers of volunteers, hours and donations in the country. Hundreds of organizations participate in VAVS, but our members are a key partner with the VA in filling in the gaps to serve veterans.

May 4-6, 2016, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the National Advisory Committee (NAC), which is the voting body of the VAVS, will come together for its annual meeting. In addition to the wonderful sessions and workshops for volunteers, Representatives and Deputy Representatives and VA staff, VAVS will commemorate the 70 years that have fulfilled the needs of veterans nationwide in VA facilities.

I will attend that event as your National Representative along with National President Francisca Guilford and our Certifying Official Connie Wahlen. It is truly a wonderful learning experience every year. We hear from great speakers, attend informative workshops and get to know the other great organizations and volunteers.

This conference is open to anyone who is a part of the VAVS system. If you are a volunteer, Representative or Deputy Representative, you should consider coming. I promise you will learn a lot and be inspired in a hundred ways to go back and continue this wonderful part of who we are as an organization.

Learn about the conference here: http://www.volunteer.va.gov/NAC.asp.

When I get back, I’ll be sure to put together a review of my time there. Thank you to all our amazing hospital volunteers! You are making a HUGE difference in the lives of veterans!

Youth Activities: Youth Go Above and Beyond For Our Veterans

Joan Penney
2015-2016 National Youth Activities Ambassador

I know I say the same thing every month: that I am blown away with how our youth go above and beyond working for our veterans! And every time I think I can’t be more impressed another future leader is brought to my attention. I have got to share my latest finds with you! 

This information comes from Youth Trumpets and Taps Corps:

When Katie Prior learned that at many veterans’ funerals a tape recording of Taps is played, instead of a live performance, she decided a change was needed so veterans could get the distinguished tribute they deserve. She recruited her fellow trumpet players in her homeschool band, local high schools, and the Oklahoma Youth Orchestras to use their gifts to serve others. Katie is addressing the shortage of military buglers as her leadership project for the Gold Award, the highest recognition for achievement that a Girl Scout can receive. For more information please click here: www.trumpetandtaps.org.

I know there are countless examples of youth working for veterans, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder of the importance of veterans, which is exactly what Buzz Williams, the Virginia Tech men's basketball coach opted to do for his players. He brought in a group of military veterans to teach his team the importance of standing at attention for the national anthem. The coach had his players stand behind the sideline chairs with the veterans standing in front of the chairs while delivering this message:

“These guys, when they were your age, interrupted their life, they paused their education, they changed their career, they gave their life for those chairs. So when the anthem is played, we’re going to stand like grown men and we’re going to honor men like this that gave their life so we can have a chair to sit in.”  

Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWRJvl2TkNk

Thank you for sharing all the wonderful things youth are doing for our nation's veterans! Don't forget to thank them for their support of veterand and their families with the Youth Groups Supporting Our Veterans Citation. Click here to request the citation from National Headquarters.

Veterans & Family Support: Clip Campbell's Labels for Education® and Help the VFW National Home Earn a Minivan!

Laurie Dale 
2015-2016 National Veterans & Family Support Ambassador

Clip Campbell's Labels for Education® and Help the VFW National Home Earn a Minivan!

The VFW National Home for Children has 14 weeks to collect the last 184,485 Campbell’s Labels for Education® UPC’s needed to earn their seventh (yes, seventh!) minivan. In order to earn a minivan, they must turn in 1.6 million UPC points by July 31, 2016. At the time this blog was posted, they had turned in just over 1.4 UPC million points.

Why do they only have 14 weeks to collect the points? Because on August 1, 2016 the Campbell’s Labels for Education program as we know it will end.

As of August 1, 2016 only the items with a LFE logo will be accepted as points into a registered school’s account. Schools may continue to submit UPCs and Beverage/Sauce Caps of any participating product through July 31, 2016. During the 2016-2017 school year and beyond, Campbell’s will continue to honor labels only from schools currently registered with the program. They will remove the Labels for Education logo mid-2016 (below) and expect there will be a limited number of products that contain these labels in stores through 2017.

For the past 42 years, the Campbell’s Labels for Education has contributed more than $110 million in school supplies to tens of thousands of schools across the U.S. By saving and redeeming product UPCs and Beverage/Sauce Caps from participating products, schools could earn FREE educational merchandise such as computers, software, sports equipment, musical instruments, library books and even a minivan! Since 2004, the National Home has collected nearly 8 million (yes, 8 MILLION!!!) UPC points and earned six minivans through this generous program.

Your help is needed in order for them to earn a seventh minivan! The families at the National Home know they can count on our VFW and VFW Auxiliary members to help them reach their goal! Keep clipping and sending your Labels for Education to:

VFW National Home for Children

3573 S. Waverly Road

Eaton Rapids, MI 48827

They will be grateful to receive any and all support!!

Click here for a list of participating products: 

http://www.labelsforeducation.com/Earn-Points/Participating-Products

Scholarships: Do It Now!!!

Kim Lewis
2015-2016 National Scholarships Ambassador

The program year is drawing to a close for our scholarship contests. The deadline for entry of the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest is less than two weeks away! Have you followed up with the students you’ve contacted about entering this scholarship contest? If not, DO IT NOW! Art is due to local VFW Auxiliaries by March 31st!

• Please be sure you have the full contact information (phone number, e-mail address and mailing address) for each student entering the Young American Creative Patriotic Art to enable you to return the artwork if it does not make it any higher than Department judging.  
• If a teacher is the one submitting the artwork, their personal full contact information (phone number, e-mail address and mailing address), since by the time the artwork is returned, the students might already be out of school for the year.  
• Unless the student has said you can keep their artwork for display, possibly in your post home, the entries are to go back to them. 
• Provide the student with YOUR full contact information (phone number, e-mail address and mailing address)  so they will know who to contact to get their artwork returned.

GET TO IT!

• If you have not yet held an event to recognize your Scholarships award winners, DO IT NOW!
• If you have not yet sent an article to your local newspaper about your Scholarships award winners, DO IT NOW!  

BE SURE YOU GET THE CREDIT!
Report how many VFW Auxiliary members helped with, and how much time was spent on all of our scholarships contests (Continuing Education, Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest, Patriot's Pen and Voice of Democracy), including:

• Distribution of brochures
• Selection of judges
• Setting up for judging
• Sharing information on social media
• Publicizing scholarship contests in the media (i.e. press releases to local papers, etc.)
• Hosting or helping with a scholarship awards ceremony or recognition event

It is extremely important to report your Auxiliary's efforts to your Department’s Scholarship Chairman. Be sure you and your Auxiliary get the credit for the great work you do! Remember, every member, every hour and every dollar reported rolls up to information for next year’s VFW Auxiliary Fact Sheet that shows what great work this organization does. Your report matters. DO IT NOW!

PATRIOT'S PEN SCHOLARSHIP FUND REMINDER
Please remember to consider donations for the Patriot’s Pen Scholarship Fund. In the 2014-2015 year, the VFW awarded $46,000 in National Scholarship funds to 46 of 54 Department winners. In the 2015-2016 year, the VFW awarded $50,500 in National Scholarship funds to all 54 Department winners. Voluntary donations of any amount to help fully fund scholarships for all future Department winners can be sent to the VFW earmarked Patriot’s Pen Scholarships contribution. Donations to this fund should be reported to the Department Chairman as participation even if your VFW Auxiliary did not work the Patriot’s Pen Scholarship or receive an entry. 

FUTURE LEADERS OF AMERICA
On a personal note, I want to let all of you know the Voice of Democracy Department winners are an outstanding group of young men and women. The five days I spent with them in Washington, D.C. was an experience of a lifetime. We all learned so much about our nation’s history at numerous museums, War Memorials and the Capitol. The 54 students were inquisitive, observant and energized. It was wonderful to see so much pride and patriotism in young people. There are many future leaders of our country in that group!

Legislative: All Politics Are Local

Lois Callahan
2015-2016 National Legislative Ambassador

The Veterans of Foreign Wars recently held its annual Legislative Conference in Washington D.C. How wonderful it was to see so many members, both VFW and Auxiliary, in attendance. 

Speaking out on behalf of our veterans, making the issues understood and providing information to our Legislators was made all the easier by arming ourselves with the VFW Priority Goals and the VFW Talking Points.

Interacting with members of Senate and Congress is vitally important to ensure passage of key legislation which will improve the lives of our military, veterans and their families.  Mr. Bob Wallace, Director of the VFW Washington Office, reminds us, however, that all politics are local. 

The sharing of information that’s happening at the national level should be happening at the local level as well. The VFW Priority Goals and VFW TalkingPaper/Fact Sheet are valuable tools which can assist you in your everyday interactions at city, county and state levels of government. These important tools are easily accessed through the VFW and the VFW Auxiliary websites. 

While you are advocating for our veterans, don’t forget to sign up members and your family and friends for the VFW Action Corp Weekly enewsletter. Anyone who is interested in veteran’s issues will appreciate this informative weekly enewsletter.      

Learn more about the VFW's legislative efforts and how you can take action here: http://www.vfw.org/VFWinDC/.

Hospital: YOU Can Be the Person to Make the Difference!

Grace Matz
2015-2016 National Hospital Ambassador

Veteran & Military Suicide Awareness

For those of you who attended Mid-Year Conference in Punta Cana, you heard me tell everyone how the information for Veteran & Military Suicide Awareness enabled me to “practice what I preach.”

If you think you’ll never use the information, think again. I never really thought I’d have to personally deal with the issue of suicide, but you never know when someone will come into your life that needs your help. I was so grateful that I knew of resources that could help the person in need.

I strongly urge everyone to carry the Veterans Crisis Line card with you. It’s the size of a credit card and will fit easily in a wallet, purse or pocket. They are available for free through the Suicide Prevention Coordinator at all VA Medical Facilities. You’ll be prepared and have it available if your path does cross with someone who needs it.

Additional resources, including fliers, fact sheets, gun safety information and social media content can be found at spreadtheword.veteranscrisisline.net.

Remember, you never know when YOU can be the one person to make the difference!

March Holidays

This month we have St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Have you made plans to share one or both of these holidays at a hospital or nursing home? Let your imagination run wild.

• Visit a nursing home or hospital and give out “pots of gold”. You can get a small favor bag and fill it with gold foil-wrapped candy. 
• Ask your Youth Activities Chairman to contact a classroom or youth group to make shamrocks and write little notes on them to give out. 
• Have plenty of plastic Easter eggs filled with treats in your basket as you will definitely bring lots of smiles.

Visit the National Organization’s Pinterest Page “All About Spring & Easter” for more great ideas including games, decorating ideas and tray favors.

Chief of Staff/Extension: Ways to Keep the Momentum

Barbara Melnick
2015-2016 National Chief of Staff/Extension

Go, go, go!!! Everyone is so close to being 100%+ and some are already beyond that. We are so close to increasing our overall national membership for the first time in two decades.  We can’t stop now.  NOW is the time to keep the momentum going.

Some ways to keep up the momentum…

• There are several holidays coming up that are great opportunities to call members, invite them to come to an event or service project, get to know them and get them involved. Think about ways to get your members “jazzed” about the Auxiliary at events around the following holidays:

• St. Patrick’s Day (Thursday, March 17)
• Easter (Sunday, March 27)
• Vietnam Veterans Day (March 29-30)
• Gold Star Wives Day (Tuesday, April 5)
• Loyalty Day (Sunday, May 1)

• Send out the Healthy Auxiliary Questionnaire from the Healthy VFW Auxiliary Toolkit to all your Auxiliary members that don’t attend meetings, find out why they don’t come and do something about it! There are various reasons members don’t come to meetings, some of which are out of our control. But, adjusting things that we can control (like changing meeting days/times, providing childcare and more) often lead to increased participation and ultimately, a healthier Auxiliary. 
• Call and/or write a note to members who haven’t been to a meeting for more than six (6) months and let them know they are missed and invite them to the next meeting and/or event. A call and/or note is more personal than an e-mail or text message and not everyone has e-mailing or texting available to them. 
• Make mentoring a priority in your Auxiliary. Read the VFW Auxiliary Mentoring Guide and think about how you can be an effective mentor in your Auxiliary. 
• In April, nominate members for officer positions within your Auxiliary who will volunteer for and positively promote the Auxiliary in your community.

There have been so many new Auxiliaries this year and I am so proud of all of you for doing a wonderful job! We have welcomed 24 new Auxiliaries since July 1, 2015! Way to go!

Don’t forget about the Extension Awards! The deadline of March 31 is just three weeks away! Please read page 23 the 2015-2016 Program Book for further information.