Renee Fulk
2018-2019 National “Buddy”® Poppy/VFW National Home Ambassador
“Buddy”® Poppy
Here are two wonderful ways “Buddy”® Poppies are being displayed and used to educate the public:
- From Helen Reid, VFW Auxiliary 2224, Department of Washington:
Recently Puyallup VFW Post 2224 and its Auxiliary hosted four day “Buddy”® Poppy drive. We hadn’t done one for a while so the response was very positive. One morning I was working with our Quartermaster, when a young boy approached him. He shook his hand and thanked him for his service. This really impressed us and in talking with the boy and his grandmother we found out the boy had lost his grandfather the year before. They were best buddies and his grandfather was a veteran. We gave the little boy a brochure about the “Buddy”® Poppy and his grandmother received a pocket flag with a “Buddy”® Poppy with it. I thanked his grandmother on educating her grandson about our veterans. He was emotionally moved when we gave him the flag with the poppy. I can’t wait until our next “Buddy”® Poppy drive so we can educate more people and have these emotional experiences.
- From the Department of Oregon – “Buddy”® Poppy fairies at the 2018 Western Conference
VFW National Home
National President’s Special Project – Update
We’re almost halfway through the Program Year and nearly a third of the way to our $85,000 goal to fund the Guest Lodge Kitchen Remodel at the VFW National Home.
$85,000 – Goal
$26,477 – Raised
$58,523 – Total Needed
BELIEVE – WE CAN DO IT!
At Western Conference, we hosted a raffle for small prizes for those who showed us they entered the Veteran & Military Family Helpline as a contact in their cell phone. Entering the Helpline as a contact was an idea by National President Sandi. It is easy to look up the number to refer a family in need. Please share with your Department Chairman how you have used this excellent tool! Just as your National Ambassadors are “only one call away,” the same goes for the VFW National Home!
There are great things going on at the VFW National Home…
While attending the Annual Meeting of the National Home, I met members from Eureka Memorial Auxiliary 5468 from the Department of Missouri. They informed me they were a new Auxiliary instituted on August 24, 2018. They presented a check during the Annual Meeting with proceeds from a project where they had a silent auction of a quilt with a kitten pattern and raised $50.00 for the National Home. The Auxiliary, along with their Post, also donated five cases of school supplies. The members are very excited, enjoyed their visit to the National Home, and I suspect this is only the beginning of this Auxiliary’s relationship with the National Home.
Everything adds up and is so appreciated! Keep up the great work!
Here is a picture of members of VFW Auxiliary 5468 with National Home Executive Director Patrice Green, National President Sandi and Board President Dave Ouellette.
Thank you to the Department of Florida for raising $8,000 to donate 47 Christmas trees to the VFW National Home. Your Department did an awesome job and it’s very much appreciated!
If your Auxiliary would like some project ideas for the National Home, please contact Sue Alverson, Director of Marketing and Development, at 866-483-9642.
Don’t Forget! National Home Life Member fees increase to $50.00 in January 2019. Applications can be found on the website www.vfwnationalhome.org
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
