Theme: “Auxiliary Members are Putting the Best Construction on Volunteerism”
Areas of Emphasis:
- Enroll Auxiliary members as VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) volunteers at VA health care facilities.
- Volunteer recruitment and Retention both outside the VA and inside the VA healthcare facilities
- Volunteer Opportunities: volunteer outside of a VAMC, the first step should be to identify a servicemember, veteran, and/or family member’s needs within the community. Consider the following when trying to locate where to identify these needs:
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- Start with your own post home. Some Legionnaires are now aged, infirmed, confined due to illness or inability to drive, and spend most of their time at home or in assisted living facilities.
- Utilize leaders in your community. Contact government officials, religious leaders, and social service offices to ask about different programs in the community serving veterans. Once you have obtained contact information, reach out to the various organizations and ask them to identify their needs. Once you have identified the needs in your community, brainstorm different ways to meet these needs with your unit or American Legion Family. Following is a list of ideas to get you started:
- Visit with veterans and remember them on special occasions.
- Offer to drive veterans to doctor appointments.
- Offer to stay with a veteran while his/her primary caregiver goes shopping or out for a break.
- Take a veteran for a Sunday drive, picnic, or maybe to see one of his/her friends.
- Treat veterans to tickets for sporting events or movies.
- Transitional housing programs have many needs. Secure donations for staple items such as laundry soap, cleaning supplies, kitchen items, new undergarments, etc.
- Donate a membership to The American Legion. Arrange an outing to a Legion meeting for special events such as a Veterans Day dinner, memorial service, etc.
- Furnish a room in transitional housing programs as a special project.
- Help furnish new living space for a veteran graduating from a transitional housing program. This might include the veteran and his/her family. School supplies for children or meals might be extra touches.
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- Support rehabilitation and healing of veterans through arts, crafts, and hobbies
- Support veteran caregivers, family members, and survivors
- Support your local VA facility
- Support veterans and their families in the community by collaborating with external like-minded organizations such as Honor Flight, Quilts of Valor, etc.?
Department Awards
SERVICE TO VETERANS/HOSPITAL SERVICES
- $25.00 to VA/VS Volunteer serving the greatest number of hours, excluding Reps/Deps.
- $25.00 to VA/VS Volunteer serving the greatest number of hours, for Reps/Deps.
- $25.00 to the “Service to Veterans” Junior Volunteer serving the greatest number of hours.
- $25.00 to the “Service to Veterans” Senior Volunteer serving the greatest number of hours.
- $25 to IL Veterans Home Volunteer serving the greatest number of hours, excluding Reps/Deps.
- $25 to IL Veterans Home Volunteer serving the greatest number of hours, for Reps/Deps.
Personal Awards:
- Citation to honor years of service
Cinda Held | sportmama_98@yahoo.com | 217-343-5314
Department Resources