“Buddy”® Poppy/VFW National Home: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go!

Are you ready to let the cat out of the bag? Our 2019-20 Program Year is in full swing. I hope everyone who attended the Program Seminar at this year’s National Convention enjoyed the presentations…”Eleven on the right, Eleven to the left, Report, Report, Report!” Now is the time to get to work on our Program Goals:

• Buddy”® Poppy National Display Contest.
• Buddy”® Poppy Education and Community Outreach.
• VFW National Home Education and Community Outreach.

“Buddy”® Poppy
It is never too early to start your “Buddy”® Poppy Displays for Reno 2020. Login to MALTA for complete rules and regulations.

• Choose a desirable category.
• Read all pertinent information.
• Don’t forget at least one of the poppies must be in its original form and color with label attached.
• Invite your local community members, youth groups or senior centers to participate with you.
• Do not limit your Department contest to just your Mid-Year/Mid-Winter Conference. The contest can be expanded to your Department Convention as well. The more entries, the more chances to win.
• Did you know that Departments who purchase over 250,000 poppies are allowed 2 displays in each of the (3) categories for the National Display Contest?
• Most important – Have fun with your project! Make it a team effort!
• Are you ready, get set GO! Let’s get those creative thoughts going.

VFW National Home for Children
By now your Auxiliary has had at least one regularly scheduled meeting. Did you vote to send in your Health and Happiness donation? We ask for 10 cents per member, more if you can spare.  There are plenty of ways to donate to our National Home for Children. These heroes and their families are depending on us for our support.

Other ways to donate to our National Home for Children:

• Purchase Tribute Bricks for your Auxiliary, Post, self or for your family.
• Purchase items for Tribute Park e.g. Live Tribute-trees, Stone benches, Flagstones, etc.
• Sign up for monthly giving and support your state’s home.
• Become a Life Member.
• Have monthly National Home Life Membership raffles for your members as well.
• Did you know there is an Amazon wish list? You can purchase everyday items needed to run our National Home from Amazon.
• Speaking of Amazon, do you know about Amazon Smile? If you have an Amazon account, designate VFW National Home for Children as your charity of choice. AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5 percent of the purchase price from your eligible purchases to the National Home.
• With the heat of summer it is hard to think about Christmastime. There are just 18 weeks before Christmas. Yikes! Donate items to Santa’s Shop. Santa’s Shop is a store where resident children can shop for Christmas gifts and experience the joy of giving. Overflow items are used for birthdays, special events and an incentive closet.

Visit https://www.vfwnationalhome.org/donate for more information on how to donate to our national treasure.

ma kou hōʻailona hele kahi e hele ai! (On your mark, get set, GO!)  It is never too early to start your projects and plan your donations. We can continue “Serving our Veterans with Aloha” by promoting and supporting both of these very important programs of the VFW and its Auxiliary.

a hui hou mākou (until we meet again)…