VFW members around the world delved into VFW’s second annual Day of Service this year, an initiative to engage veterans, service members and local advocates in a widespread attempt to make a meaningful impact in their communities.

This year’s Day of Service built on the success of its inaugural event last year, growing its total number of grassroots events by more than 20 percent. VFW Posts in all 50 states, as well as those in Europe, Guam, the Philippines, Mexico and Puerto Rico, participated.

The results of this year’s Day of Service stemmed from a decision by VFW to expand and begin outreach months earlier. VFW National Headquarters alerted members with information in VFW magazine and through a robust social media campaign.

With the Day of Service hashtag used more than 3.3 million times across social and traditional media, the gospel of what VFW does in and around their communities spread universally, as more than 700 Posts around the world participated.

The following are a few examples of VFW Posts whose work was praised on local TV, in newspapers and on social media platforms for their extensive work in and around their communities on VFW’s 2023 Day of Service.

‘WE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT’
Members of All-American VFW Post 9167 in Princeton, Texas, led several service projects that targeted their community throughout VFW’s Day of Service on May 6.

Post 9167 garnered more than 72 volunteers and 31 additional supporters in a widespread effort to serve and enhance their community.

“We had a lot of support to make this happen,” then-VFW Post 9167 Commander Preston Callaway said. “We received help from churches, city, chamber, schools and other groups in town. The mayor and city council and chamber of commerce all were glad to be a part of it.”

VFW members carried out several beautification projects that included repairing and polishing headstones at Princeton Cemetery and cleaning the town’s Veterans Memorial Park.

They also joined the Princeton Fire Department in brush clearing to protect neighborhoods from grass fires, as well as joining local nonprofit chapters to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and deliver meals through Meals on Wheels America.

“We all split up into groups and worked together with each project by having a VFW Post 9167 member in each group to be the point of contact,” Callaway said. “Everyone bought in and helped where they could.”

In conducting their Day of Service, Post 9167 members enlisted help from the local JROTC and Scout troops to pass down mentorship and ideals in what it means to serve one’s country and community.

The Post also partnered with the local First Baptist Church to use its facility for free health screenings and a blood drive that garnered 21 pints of blood. The Post also provided career resources through the Texas Workforce Commission and free haircuts through VFW’s partnership with Sports Clips.

“I was deeply grateful for all the community members who came out to help,” Callaway said. “I already look forward to next year.”

BEDS FOR NEEDY CHILDREN
VFW Post 1264 in Roanoke, Virginia, conducted its Day of Service, alongside its Auxiliary, by building 30 beds for children in need. Post members received help from the Roanoke Battalion Sea Cadets and other community members on May 6.

The Post sponsored the event by providing $6,000 toward Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a global nonprofit with chapters across the U.S. that focuses on building beds for children in need of the proper physical, emotional and mental support a bed offers.

“Everybody had a great time, and there was not a single face without a smile on it,” said Lloyd Nolan Jackson, a Post trustee. “By supporting this bed build, we were able to get 30 children off the floor or sofa into a bed of their own. For many of them, it was their first bed.”

Joining the Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter in Roanoke, about 170 miles west of Richmond, Virginia, members of Post 1264 joined their 77 enlisted volunteers
in building and furnishing the 30 bunk beds throughout the day.

“Unfortunately, there will always be children in need of a safe and comfortable place to sleep,” Jackson said. “That’s why we must continue.”

‘PERSPECTIVE AND TEAMWORK’
For their VFW Day of Service this May, VFW Post 1533 members in San Antonio split their time into two volunteer sessions at the San Antonio Food Bank.

A cohort of 18 Post members spent more than three hours apiece on May 16 and May 19 working out of the San Antonio Food Bank’s warehouse, sorting and packing food for those suffering from food insecurity.

“Our Day of Service was spent in a warehouse working with fellow volunteers from across our community who were equally committed to fighting hunger,” VFW Post 1533 Judge Advocate General Suzzie Thomas said. “By luck and good fortune, we were joined by high school students, volunteers from USAA and a large group of Navy chiefs.”

VFW Post 1533 also donated $500 toward the Food Bank, helping provide more than 3,500 meals for the community, an additional token of their mission.

“VFW’s Day of Service is about perspective and teamwork,” Thomas said. “We can all get caught up in our daily grind and life’s challenges, so it is important to make the time and have a reason to come together as a team to make a positive impact.”

Adding to their efforts during this year’s Day of Service, Post 1533 members went beyond the month of May and remained involved with the food bank throughout the summer. In July, they also hosted a food and pet drive at their Post, managing to donate an additional 1,072 food items to the San Antonio Food Bank.

This article is featured in the November/December 2023 issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

For their Day of Service this year, VFW Post 10519 members spearheaded a community blood drive that helped provide for 81 patients across the Milwaukee area.

The Post, 11 miles southwest of Milwaukee in Greendale, Wisconsin, had been deciding on its second-annual VFW Day of Service project when members were contacted by representatives from Versiti, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit blood center.

“They approached us and told us of the shortage of blood in the Milwaukee area,” VFW Post 10519 Senior Vice Commander Kristin Dodds said. “Versiti donations go to multiple hospitals including the VA medical center in Milwaukee, so it was a great way to connect the community to the VFW and veterans by filling an urgent need.”

Post 10519 members accepted the challenge and began an advertising campaign to recruit donors prior to VFW’s Day of Service on May 6. The Post and its Auxiliary also worked with several community organizations and businesses to spread the word and accrue donations.

In orchestrating the event, Post 10519 received a $500 donation from Humana, a longtime VFW partner, as well as blood donors from Greendale staples that included the Broad Street Coffee Company, American Legion Post 416, Lions Club and St. Alphonsus Church.

When the event began on May 6, the Post hosted the blood drive at the building they share with Legion Post 416, handling all the logistics and allowing Versiti to collect the blood from 26 donors that included 11 Post and Auxiliary members.

“We conducted donor check-ins and also collected food items for Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative’s emergency food program,” Dodds said. “The event was successful enough that Versiti asked us to host another blood drive in the fall.”

Working with the same businesses and organizations in Greendale, VFW Post 10519 members hosted their second blood drive in September. They welcomed 20 donors and helped Versiti raise blood to help 57 Milwaukee patients.

Dodds credited VFW’s Day of Service for the flourishing partnership with Versiti, who has expressed a desire to continue to work alongside Post 10519 to help field blood donations for those in need around Milwaukee.

“It is important for VFW Posts to participate in the Day of Service campaign because the events create opportunities to connect with other local organizations for the betterment of their communities,” Dodds said. “Additionally, the Day of Service is a platform for VFW Posts to talk within their communities about the great work we do year-round and not just in May.”

A VFW Post in San Antonio is doing their part when it comes to fighting food insecurity in its community.

Since July, VFW Post 8397 in San Antonio has distributed about 43,000 pounds of groceries to food-insecure families in the San Antonio area. In partnership with Humana, the Post holds a food distribution drive for needy families on the second Saturday of each month.

Cris Vieyra, a past VFW Post 8397 commander, said the VFW Post has held these events for about three years with the help of the San Antonio Food Bank. Additionally, Vieyra said the Post has received help from local JROTC youth to help with the distribution.

“We hand out a variety of food, including frozen dinners, canned foods, fresh fruits and meats such as chicken, fish and beef,” Vieyra said. “We try our best to help as many families as we can. All of us enjoy what we do.”

At distribution events, Humana-organized volunteers, as well as Post and Auxiliary members, provide help to the “long lines” of families who need help, Vieyra said. Humana’s efforts are led by Andrea Ortiz, a veterans community engagement executive with Humana and a member of VFW Post 7108 (also located in San Antonio).

Since 2018, VFW has worked with Humana for the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. The program was established to fight hunger and food insecurity across the country.

According to statistics from Feeding America, about 1-in-4 Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans are affected by food insecurity. In the general population, about 1-in-10 households experience food insecurity.

Vieyra said the community’s reaction to the food donations has been “incredible” to see.

“The people who we help often volunteer to help us distribute food to others,” Vieyra said. “It’s amazing to see how grateful they are.”

VFW Post 8397 recently utilized a $1,500 VFW Foundation grant for its work with the food bank. Since 2021, the VFW Foundation has offered grants to VFW Posts and Auxiliaries supporting the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. For every dollar raised by local VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, the VFW Foundation will match the full amount up to $1,500. Uniting to Combat Hunger grant applications are available at vfw.org/UTCH.

Long before becoming commander of the first VFW Post established on an active-duty U.S. military installation last year, Willie Keller had seen the possibilities with a credulous eye.

Joined by other founding members of Post 12209 on Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) near Killeen, Texas, Keller set out to serve as an example of how a VFW Post on an active military installation can help troops and their families more effectively.

“I wish I had that for me when I was coming up,” said Keller, a 16-year Army veteran who joined VFW in 1995. “It not only helps with recruitment, but it puts us in a position to shed light on stuff that is not getting lit up.”

Since finding its home at Fort Cavazos’ Building 18000 on Jan. 7, 2022, Post 12209’s membership has more than tripled its roster. The Post boosted its numbers from 48 in July
2022 to more than 153 members as of this August, according to Keller.

“And we haven’t dropped the hammer on membership yet,” said Keller, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq before being medically retired in 2009. “The people we have come to us about joining is because of what they see from us.”

Over the last year, Post 12209 has provided more than $180,000 worth of assistance to service members and their families by tapping into VFW’s well of programs and services. This includes the Military Assistance Program, which provides Posts with grants to help active-duty troops, as well as Unmet Needs grants for military families with financial difficulties.

Unable to host fundraisers on base, Keller added that other sources come from his own members, private donors and the VFW Department of Texas Foundation.

“There’s no regulation on how to show empathy for these service members and their families, but we try to be there for all of them,” said Keller, who also partakes in advocacy projects, which includes a new bill passed this year to increase the slots for child care at Fort Cavazos. Keller acted on this after hearing from an active-duty single mother.

“We ask people to serve, but they can’t because they need assistance to serve,” Keller added. “We have been an outlet to help fix these problems by going and advocating for more legislative funding.”

Another beacon has been VFW’s Adopt-a-Unit program, which to date has allowed Post 12209 to adopt more than 29 military units comprising thousands of troops at Fort Cavazos.

From cookouts to care packages to simply treating families to a free meal, Keller added that being on base to see the impact of the VFW makes it worth the countless hours he puts in every day.

“When you’re in uniform, it’s your job to care,” Keller said. “But we don’t get paid. This is something we do for them. They see this. The highlight for me is seeing them realize that someone really cares. It’s a good feeling to even see generals on base stop to thank us for what we’ve done.”

Though Keller and his Post members have accomplished much in record time, he admits they are far from complacent. The Post is committed on several fronts, which includes advocating for a more efficient way to use the military’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP), as well as working closely with JROTC and ROTC programs around Texas.

“You can start your transition 12 months out, but mission dictates,” Keller said. “Some have less time to transition. And for some who are institutionalized for 20-30 years, it is not that simple to transition when they used to be a voice of leadership before, and now they are just a number in the civilian world. One of our priority goals is to extract career service members out of their unit and put them on a transitional unit as soon as possible.”

When Keller is not running around conducting business, he admits basking in the gratitude of service members on base who routinely call him and his Post members to talk and thank them for guidance and career advice. Armed with extensive knowledge of VFW’s history, Keller dispenses praise for his organization whenever given the chance.

“It’s valuable to know the history of VFW,” Keller said. “I just let them know why they should join the organization that has been there for them, with them now, and will be with them in the future. A lot of them don’t know some of the stuff service members have now in terms of benefits came from the VFW being in the trenches for them.”

With membership being a byproduct of Post 12209’s assistance and proximity to those in uniform today, Keller also has a lofty goal regarding this particular area.

“We want to be the largest VFW Post in the world in 36 months,” Keller said. “Like I mentioned before, we haven’t dropped the hammer on membership yet. What made us increase our membership has been the influence of our work alone.”

This article is featured in the November/December 2023 issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

Fabian Lee Martinez served in the Navy from 2001 to 2012 to pursue two of his goals.

“I wanted to serve my country and be a firefighter,” he said. “I was able to do both by joining.”

Today, Martinez is #StillServing in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, as a member of VFW Post 2466. He also works at Texas Tech University as a school certifying official by helping veterans and dependent students use their military benefits to attend college.

In previous roles with local nonprofits, Martinez helped other veterans receive assistance through the Texas Veterans Commission for things like paying their utilities and replacing major home appliances.

Martinez is focused on uplifting and building relationships with his fellow veterans outside of work, too. He created, and now leads, the VETSports Lubbock chapter to provide community members a venue to play anything from softball to volleyball to cornhole. He recognizes the benefits of connecting people in this way.

“Many of us have a close-knit relationship,” he said. “Just having other veterans around makes me feel good.”

“I claim Inverness, Florida, as my hometown because I went to high school there, but I was born in Germany and lived a very ‘military-brat’ life,” veteran Chris Ajinga said.

Ajinga’s father served in the Army, and his stepfather served in the Navy, which meant he grew up in Hawaii, Georgia, California, Virginia and Florida. His family history, plus Ajinga’s desire to see the world, inspired him to enlist.

Ajinga spent three years in the Navy and 22 in the Marine Corps. Although his military career is over, Ajinga is #StillServing in different ways, including as a volunteer firefighter.

“I respond to fires and incidents that would go unanswered if there were no volunteers,” he said. “That’s why I do it. I saw a billboard that asked the question, ‘What if no one answered the call?’ And I felt a calling to help my community.”

Ajinga, 63, also volunteers with The Fallen Outdoors (TFO), a nonprofit that gets veterans and active-duty men and women outside to enjoy nature. As a TFO pro staffer, Ajinga coordinates fishing, hunting and boating trips for service members and their families, at no cost to them.

When asked why he gives so much of his time to others, Ajinga shared what his volunteerism means to him and those he encounters.

“Volunteering enables me to stay connected to my community both near and far,” he said. “I see the kindness of others, and I enjoy meeting new people. Sometimes, it’s in a time of need. Other times, I meet them because they see me fighting a fire or controlling an accident scene, and they offer support by way of water or just a simple thank-you. I even get a hug now and then. Life is good.”

Athena McDowall decided to join the New Jersey Army National Guard while she was in high school, and she went on to serve for four years.

“I did it to pursue my educational goals but also to do something different from those around me,” she said. “I wanted to have a new experience to give me a challenge and a new way of looking at life.”

While serving, McDowall struggled with an eating disorder. Today, she is a therapist in West Deptford, New Jersey, where she helps other veterans facing mental health battles

She also volunteers with Philadelphia NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association) and is the vice president of the board of directors for SEA WAVES. Working with both nonprofits allows her to raise awareness of eating disorders in the military and help veterans and active-duty service members gain access to treatment resources.

As an advocate for the SERVE Act, a piece of legislation to help military personnel and their dependents gain access to treatment, McDowall agreed to be interviewed about her experience. She found that sharing her story was a special way to make a difference.

“I received a message thanking me,” she said. “The sender struggled with an eating disorder in the military and felt alone because no one else ever came forth to talk about it. Their experience reminded me of the importance of the work I’m doing.”

McDowall also devotes her time to the Middlesex County Veterans Diversion Program. As a veteran mentor, she helps fellow service members who have been arrested for nonviolent offenses find the help or treatment they need to build a more positive future.

McDowall believes that by showing individuals they are not alone in their struggles and giving them space to open up, they will feel their voice has been heard. And that is what motivates her to continue #StillServing in so many ways.

“I truly feel as though I’m making a positive impact in the military community,” she said.

If you attended the 124th VFW National Convention in Phoenix this year, you probably noticed a group of volunteers lined up at tables with bowls of seeds in front of them.

They were a part of the Uniting to Combat Hunger seed-packing event that will provide about 30 tons of vegetables for families suffering from food insecurity. Those seeds will be sent across the country to provide healthy and fresh produce to those in need. Since 2018, the program has provided more than 4.5 million meals for food insecure families.

VFW Foundation Grants Manager Jason Couch said the event at the national convention garnered dozens of volunteers from VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, as well as VFW Departments. Couch added that Uniting to Combat Hunger is an “incredibly important endeavor” not only to VFW but also to Humana, a company based in Louisville, Kentucky, that offers health care coverage.

“VFW was established on the principle of helping veterans, and when we learned about how many veterans are affected by food insecurity, we knew we needed to do everything we could to prevent it,” Couch said. “We would not be able to help as many veterans as we are without our partnership with Humana. We are proud of what we have accomplished with the Uniting to Combat Hunger program through the past several years.”

Since 2018, VFW has teamed with Humana for the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. It remains a staple in fighting hunger and food insecurity across the country.

1-IN-4 POST 9/11 VETS AFFECTED
The Department of Agriculture in 2021 said more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, experience food insecurity in the U.S. during the year – that is about 1-in-10 households in the country.

Feeding America says that about 125,000 active-duty military troops experience food insecurity – about 7 percent of troops in the active military. However, according to the Department of Agriculture, only about 2 percent of active-duty troops qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Feeding America also says 1-in-4 Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans are affected by food insecurity.

‘WE MUST FACE THE ISSUE TOGETHER’
Humana’s Stephanie Muckey, who leads the company’s health equity and social impact work focused on the veteran population, said that veterans, military members and their families should not have to be concerned about their next meal.

“Food insecurity is impacting the everyday lives of many veterans in communities across the country,” Muckey said. “We must face this issue together to ensure any veterans, active service men and women, and their families who are struggling have access to healthy meals.”

Since 2021, the VFW Foundation has offered grants to VFW Posts and Auxiliaries supporting the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. For every dollar raised by local VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, the VFW Foundation will match the full amount up to $5,000.

Also, for every hour that a VFW Post or Auxiliary member volunteers to address food insecurity in their communities, the VFW Foundation will provide a dollar match in the form of an unrestricted grant. A minimum of 500 hours must be documented to qualify for the volunteerism grant.

For more information, visit vfw.org/UTCH.

This article is featured in the 2023 October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Dave Spiva, associate editor for VFW magazine.

A VFW Post in the Buckeye State donated $1,000 to their high school’s music program.

VFW Post 3360 in Defiance, Ohio, presented a check to the band’s assistant director Erin Blackwood during a ceremony at the Post in September. VFW Post 3360 member Stacy Hilton, an Army veteran who served in Bosnia and Croatia, said that the Post already has a deep relationship with the town’s high school and its students.

“The Post provides color guard services at the football games,” Hilton said. “The high school band also is a big part of this community. We feel that it is important to support children in band.”

Hilton added that not only do school bands help build teamwork among its students, but the activity is also proven to help students with their curriculum. Hilton said she has her own daughter in the high school band and has seen firsthand how important it is to have music in schools.

“If my daughter didn’t have a band to be a part of, she probably would not have anything else,” Hilton said. “She has made such excellent friends. And I know she is not the only one who benefits from playing in the band.”

For their VFW Day of Service in May 2023, VFW Post 1533 members in San Antonio split their time into two volunteer sessions at the San Antonio Food Bank.

A cohort of 18 Post members spent more than three hours apiece on May 16 and May 19, respectively, working out of the San Antonio Food Bank’s warehouse sorting and packing food for those suffering from food insecurity.

“Our Day of Service was spent in a warehouse working with fellow volunteers from across our community who were equally committed to fighting hunger,” VFW Post 1533 Judge Advocate General Suzzie Thomas said. “By luck and good fortune, we were joined by high school students, volunteers from USAA and a large group of Navy chiefs.”

VFW Post 1533 also donated $500 to the Food Bank, helping provide more 3,500 meals for the community, an additional token of their mission.

“VFW’s Day of Service is about perspective and team work,” Thomas said. “We can all get caught up in our daily grind and life’s challenges, so it is important to make the time and have a reason to come together as a team to make a positive impact.”

Despite their efforts during the 2023 Day of Service, Post 1533 members went beyond the month of May and remained involved with the Food Bank throughout the summer. In July, they also hosted a food and pet drive at their Post, donating an additional 1,072 food items to the San Antonio Food Bank.