VFW Post 9134 members welcomed hundreds to their 7th Annual Rita Hand Back to School Bash in August at Rockwell Park in Rockwell, North Carolina.

Like in previous years, the event included games, a bounce house, a bubble machine, and vendors to accommodate its hundreds of participants, which included Rockwell Mayor Chuck Bowman and cadet members from East Rowan High School.

The event served as a fundraiser, where Post members and participants purchased and donated school supplies to local students before the school year began.

“This is a win-win for us and the VFW,” said Alecia Judd, the VFW Department of North Carolina Adjutant General and a life member of Post 9134. “We have always been a family Post. Our mission is not only to serve veterans but also our communities.”

Unlike previous years, this year’s Back to School Bash also included a car show.

“This was our first year including a car show to the event,” Judd said. “We wanted to bring in more participants, and I think the car show accomplished that.”

Judd added that the Post hosts events open to the community to continue to foster relationships.

“It is important that the community knows that the VFW is there for not only veterans but for service to our community,” Judd said. “When we are out there serving in the community, veterans and their families notice what we are doing and will join us.”

One day, while waiting in the lobby of a Sport Clips for her son’s haircut to be finished, Army veteran Jessica Glass noticed a sign that advertised a scholarship exclusive to veterans. Intrigued to further her education in health science and leadership so that she could better assist military personnel, she applied.

“It was much quicker and easier than I expected,” Glass said. “By the time I finished, I kept double-checking because I couldn’t believe I was already done.”

Glass served with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment (HHD) 48th Chemical Brigade out of Fort Hood, Texas, from August 2010 until December 2013.

Before learning about the scholarship, Glass had limited experience with VFW, with most of her exposure coming from stories of her great-grandmother, who volunteered at a local VFW Post. Her great-grandfather served in the Navy during WWII.

Eager to learn more about the organization, Glass attended an annual Purple Heart breakfast at her son’s elementary school, where she got to connect with VFW members who were in attendance.

“The VFW was actively involved and were showcasing the many ways they support veterans and the community,” Glass said. “That experience opened my eyes. I signed up that very day.” Currently, she’s associated with Post 3103 in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Glass is currently a doctoral candidate in health science and exercise leadership, with her main focuses being injury prevention and evidence-based approaches to personal health and wellness.

“Service members continually push themselves to perform at the highest level in order to protect us, often at the expense of their physical and mental well-being,” Glass said. “My goal is to improve their quality of life by equipping them with the education and tools needed to prevent injury and support long-term health. I’m passionate about improving the quality of life for our military personnel.”

Dominic Mele, 49, lives with his wife, Kristi, in Painesville, Ohio. He has two children, Jacqueline and Jerad, and is a member of VFW Post 2595.

Mele served in the Army for six and a half years, a time that included deployments to Iraq and Kuwait. He spent another six and a half years in the National Guard. After more than a decade in the military, Mele sustained injuries that continue to affect him.

“I am unable to do some jobs because of my disabilities. They also impacted my first marriage, which ended in divorce,” he said. “Today, I’m married to a nurse, and she is better able to understand my health issues and work with me.”

Mele connected with VFW Accredited Service Officer Eric Drake via email to find additional assistance.

“Eric understands the law and how the ratings system works,” Mele said. “He’s top notch. Working with him was very rewarding.”

With Drake’s help, Mele received a 100% disability rating and discovered a renewed sense of purpose.

“I had been working a dead-end job, but I wanted to make something of myself and do better for my family,” Mele said. “Eric’s knowledge inspired me to become a VFW Accredited Service Officer.”

Mele encourages other veterans who are struggling to manage service-related conditions or to receive benefits to seek help.

“Call your local Veterans Association regional office (VARO),” he said. “There are very knowledgeable VFW Accredited Service Officers ready and willing to assist you.”

Learn more about the VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

Bonnie J. Gibbs lives in Detroit, Michigan, with her husband, Maurice, and their two children, Brittany and Willie.

After starting work as a secretary for the Vietnam Veterans of America in 1997, she transitioned to being a full-time VFW Accredited Service Officer with the VFW.

Gibbs spends her days assisting veterans and their spouses as they navigate the VA system.

“One of my biggest challenges is getting veterans to understand how it works,” she said. “It’s really complicated sometimes.

“A typical day for me is working in the field. I’m always in a different location. My day usually begins with walk-in appointments, and then I’ll take phone calls in between those.”

Gibbs says her favorite part of the job is seeing clients’ faces when they finally get their VA disability claims approved.

“It makes me feel wonderful!” she said. “I’m so glad I have the chance to help them.”

Learn more about the VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

Nathaniel Juarez is a member of VFW Post 8116. He lives in Cape Canaveral, Florida, with his wife, Amelia, and their three children, Carolina, Nathaniel Jr. and Alexander.

After serving in the Air Force for 13 years, he transferred to the Space Force. Today, Senior Master Sgt. Juarez is the senior enlisted leader for Assured Access to Space. He oversees the intelligence operations responsible for safeguarding 22,000 personnel across Space Launch Delta (SLD) 45 and SLD 30.

His family inspired him to enlist when he was younger.

“My grandfather was in the Army and is a Vietnam veteran. My mother, stepfather and uncle were also in the Army, and I saw how proud they were to have served,” Juarez said. “They are the reason I decided to apply for the Air Force at the age of 17. I graduated from high school in June 2007 and was enrolled in basic training in July.”

Juarez heard about the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” while he was stationed in South Korea.

“A supervisor told me about it because I was taking so many classes that I ran out of tuition assistance but wasn’t able to pay out of pocket for additional classes,” he said.

Juarez is grateful to the donors who provided the financial aid that allowed him to pursue and obtain his Doctorate of Information Technology from Walden University.

“You are the reason I was able to get on the right path,” he said. “This scholarship catapulted me forward. I am extremely grateful.”

Juarez is still on active duty with the Space Force and plans on continuing his military career.

“I want to apply for the astronaut program now that I have completed my doctorate, which has allowed me to work as a part-time professor,” he said. “I’m enjoying being on the instructor side. But in the future, I want to be part of a company that does space debris cleanup.”

Juarez encourages other veterans to use what they learned in the military to chase their own dreams.

“Your skillset and life experiences will help you because you’ll have a unique viewpoint,” he said. “Keep taking steps toward your goal, and you’ll achieve it.”

Learn more about the VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship.”

Linda Eshenbaugh, 66, has lived in Sarver, Pennsylvania, her whole life. She has been married for 48 years and has three sons, James, Matthew and Iraq War veteran Christopher. Growing up, Eshenbaugh’s brothers were Marines, and she spent many summers in the Carolinas where they were stationed.

Today, as VFW Accredited Claims Consultant and supervisor of the Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs regional office, she takes great care in serving veterans.

“When you realize [a claim] could be me or my son or my dad or brother, it makes a big difference in my work,” she said.

Eshenbaugh oversees the hiring of VFW Accredited Service Officers and aims to run a smooth, productive office. Within a six-month period, she and her team figured out how to increase efficiencies to accommodate 100 veterans a month. Eshenbaugh provides “tailored guidance” to the individuals she helps.

“I value personalized experiences and understanding each veteran. I want to provide the right information to rate their claims correctly and get the results they deserve,” she said.

Eshenbaugh has learned how to read the ratings and the requirements from the VA to help veterans receive a positive rating. After an award or denial, she reviews the case to see if there’s anything more she can do. Sometimes, this includes providing information to veterans about state benefits they aren’t aware of. On other occasions, she represents them during a hearing.

“My biggest challenge is when the veteran can’t get a second opinion for a specific condition, such as hearing loss. That’s when I go looking for an expert who will review the case, examine the veteran and give an opinion. Not many doctors want to do that,” she said.

Recently, Eshenbaugh assisted a widow who filed a claim with another organization. After more than a year, she still had no answers. With help from her co-worker Angela Johns, Eshenbaugh quickly helped the woman receive an award during an overwhelming time.

“This work is very rewarding, especially when clients thank me and tell me how this has changed their lives,” she said. “Plus, I get to work with wonderful people.”

In fall 2024, Eshenbaugh was nominated for Service Officer of the Year in the state of Pennsylvania. She is a life member of the VFW Auxiliary and enjoys attending VFW-sponsored events and socializing with veterans.

“When I help veterans,” she said, “I feel happy.”

Learn more about the VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

When torrential rainfall in early July caused devastating flash floods to rip through Kerrville, Texas, fellow VFW Post 5480 members in Madisonville, Kentucky, sprang to action.

Separated by nearly 1,000 miles, Post 5480 members held a donation drive throughout the month that culminated with $25,000 toward the Kerrville Relief Fund, with an additional $4,000 for its local VFW Post 1480 on July 21.

“The impact of the events motivated us to take decisive action,” said Post 5480 Quartermaster James Werfelman. “Our Post’s donation drive was a testament to the power of community spirit in response to the devastating events in Kerrville.”

On July 4, heavy rain caused the Guadalupe River to rise 36 feet, severely impacting Kerr County, Texas. The flash floods left 119 people dead and caused additional destruction to property and infrastructure, from which the county continues to recover.

“We were blessed to have been able to hopefully relieve some burden, though we know no amount of money can make up for the loss these families have experienced,” Werfelman said. “We pray these families find peace in their time of need and hope they know they have love and support from their brothers and sisters across the country.”

On July 18, VFW Post 2205 in Denton, Texas, got a call from Bobby Maes, an Army veteran of VFW Post 10460 and employee of the Denton-based homeless shelter Our Daily Bread. Maes was calling out to any local VFW Posts that could help assist the shelter that day – it was more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside and the shelter was low on bottled water.

Tim Middleton, commander of Post 2205, answered the call and began to reach out to other veteran-affiliated organizations in the area, including other VFW Posts to help assist with gathering water.

“There’s a lot of connective tissue with each organization in North Texas,” Middleton said.

He went to Sam’s Club and picked up 10 large cases of water, enough to cover his entire truck bed.

“We had to move quickly,” Middleton said. “It was becoming dangerously hot outside.”

Our Daily Bread is a “low-barrier” homeless shelter, meaning there are fewer obstacles for admission. The shelter also has priorities for past military service members, with 10 beds in the facility being dedicated to homeless veterans.

Middleton and Maes were successful in delivering the water to the shelter on time.

“We had the resources, we had the capability,” Middleton said. “Being able to address the immediate need was very fulfilling for our organization.”

Post 2205 and Our Daily Bread share a “strong bond,” according to Middleton. The Post provides a quarterly donation to the shelter, continuing to help homeless veterans in any way they can.

VFW Post 4575 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, held a Jeep and 4×4 show in July at the local Hop Springs Brewery – an event that members hope to turn into an annual tradition.

The show was put together by the Post’s Auxiliary, and showcased Jeeps, along with Broncos and other similar off-roading vehicles. The event was held on July 26 and was open to the public. VFW Post 4575 Quartermaster Jerry Stewart says a couple hundred people attended the event.

“It means a lot,” said Stewart about the car show. “It gets us connected with the community and shows that not only does the Auxiliary support the Post, but also that the Post supports the Auxiliary and the community.”

The event also hosted live music from local bands, as well as a silent auction, food trucks and an open bar, provided by the brewery. Local Murfreesboro vendors also came to sell various goods and wares.

Stewart hopes to see the event expand over the next few years.

“We had a late start on planning the event,” he said. “However, with this being the first year, it can only grow with time.”

Along with the car show, the Post also began an annual cook-out at the Tennessee State Veterans Home in Murfreesboro this year. The Post also holds an annual Memorial Day 5k Ruck March, as well as supports the Rutherford County Recovery Fest and the Student Veterans of America Chapter at Middle Tennessee State University.

This article is featured in the 2025 August issue of Checkpoint. If you’re a VFW member and don’t currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.

Members of VFW Post 56 in Leavenworth, Kansas, carried out this year’s fourth annual VFW National Day of Service project on May 3 at a local housing facility for veterans and civilians with severe and/or permanent mental health disabilities.

Volunteers gathered at Marion Apartments, a 10-unit facility owned by the nonprofit regional branch of Mental Health of America, where they cleaned the property and added new plants to the garden in hopes of creating a peaceful, healing space for residents.

“The reaction from their people was so amazing,” said VFW Post 56 Commander Jamie Cox. “They joined in with us and helped rebuild their gardens and plant vegetables for consumption.”

Cox, a Navy veteran who became the first female commander at Post 56 in May, is familiar with the needs and concerns of Marion Apartment residents, having worked closely with them as a housing specialist and case manager.

“Most of the people who live there suffer from food insecurity,” Cox said. “I am there weekly for my regular job, and the vegetables are definitely being eaten. They always ask when they see me if we can come cook for them again.”

The Post’s commitment to those living on the margins of society, according to Cox, exemplifies the VFW’s core values of bringing veterans and their communities together to work and uplift one another.

“Those we serve love the social interaction and working with our members,” Cox said. “More than one expressed their gratitude for not being forgotten about. They feel seen and valued. Our members get to perform acts of service, and we love doing that.”

Cox added that continuing to participate in these annual VFW National Day of Service projects also amplifies the Post’s visibility within the community, as it resonated with dozens of local volunteers who joined members in beautifying Marion Apartments this year.

“The event was widely talked about for weeks after,” Cox said. “We were humbled and grateful for our community’s support when we asked for volunteers. These projects in our community benefit everyone.”

This article is featured in the 2025 August issue of Checkpoint. If you’re a VFW member and don’t currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.