Dana Fogner
2020-2021 National "Buddy"® Poppy & VFW National Home Ambassador
It is a new year, but challenges of the last year remain. Our veterans have been heavily impacted by this pandemic and we need to ensure their needs are met. As you get back into your routine, please continue to let those in your community know the challenges veterans face. Ways this can be done include hosting poppy drives and fundraisers to help restore and increase Relief Funds.
Another way is to get crafty and create poppy displays for specific patriotic holidays (e.g., Presidents Day, Flag Day, Constitution Day, etc.). One Department Chairman had Auxiliaries create poppy displays for POW/MIA Day. The Auxiliaries took photos of the displays and sent the photos to the Department Chairman. The Chairman had a panel of judges who reviewed the photos and awarded Auxiliaries for the best display that depicted POW/MIA.
Note: The VFW decides how poppy displays will be judged on the National level and suggest Department contests are set up to correspond with the categories and rules. Read the brief “Buddy”® Poppy Chairman’s Manual and learn tips for a successful poppy drive and the rules for the “Buddy”® Poppy Display Contest held at National Convention.
Earlier this month the VFW National Home celebrated 96 years of helping our nation’s veteran and military families. I remember the first time I saw a video about the National Home and the impact they have on the veterans and their families who live there. The families expressed feelings of safety and security that being at the National Home gave them. Our donations help make those feelings possible.
Ways to donate include:
- Become a Life Member of the VFW National Home: $50.00
- Purchase a Tribute Brick in honor or memory of someone: $100.00
- Become a Home Front Hero through monthly giving: You determine the amount of your monthly donation.
- Purchase items from the National Home’s Amazon Wish List.
- Support the National Home while you shop on Amazon with AmazonSmile. Select the National Home as your AmazonSmile charity of choice and AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the purchase price from your eligible purchases to the National Home.
My Auxiliary and Department, as well as yours, has placed a strong focus on membership this year. It has brought to light how many members are never contacted by their Auxiliaries until it is time for dues payment. I encourage you to contact at least one member a month by phone, email or text and check in with them. See if they are doing well, if they need help in any way and let them know what’s going on with the Auxiliary. The greatest things about the Auxiliary are the friends we make, and the lives of veterans, service members and their families who we impact.
I wish everyone a great year and thank you for keeping the “Buddy”® Poppy and VFW National Home at the forefront of the minds of our members and our communities.