“Celebrating the Holidays with our Real Heroes”
Not every hero wears a cape, and the Holiday Gift Shop department will make sure our real heroes will not be forgotten at Christmas and Easter.
As in past years, the Christmas Holiday Gift shops make it possible for veterans residing in VA facilities to give a gift to a loved one by means of a $10.00 gift card from either Wal-Mart, Target, or McDonalds.
Each veteran will have their gift card of choice put in a Christmas card to be given personally to a loved one or to be mailed by a VA Representative.
An order form will be given to each VA Representative to fill out with the number of gift cards needed, and with the number of veterans residing at each facility. Any unused gift cards must be returned to the department offices. They are not to be sold.
Each VA facility needs to send me their gift shop dates and start times by September 1st so it can be published in the ALA Today newsletter for October.
The Easter program is just as important. It provides $5.00 and an Easter card to each veteran in the VA facilities, nursing homes, and rehab and assisted living facilities throughout the state. Veterans confined to their homes due to health issues are also included.
To take part in this program, units need to report the number of veterans in these facilities. They do not need to report VA facilities numbers. Instead, those will be remembered by their individual representatives.
Easter cards and the $5.00 for each veteran reported will be sent to the Unit Treasurer to be distributed by the Unit.
PLEASE NOTE: make sure your Unit Officers’ lists are up to date and filled with the department. We have to know who the treasurer is and the correct contact information, or else items will be withheld until that is corrected.
On a lighter note, than you Madam President for this chairmanship.
Laurinda Kidd | LKT8THILCAV@hotmail.com | 815-495-2742