Vickie Rosse
2018-2019 National Hospital Ambassador
Building on the VFW Auxiliary’s Hospital Foundation
The Hospital Program team is seeing progress on our part of Building on the VFW Auxiliary Foundation. Armed with our blueprint, we’re ready to place more bricks on our foundation.
Seven bricks – Auxiliary Hospital Chairmen can award Hospital Volunteer Service Pins when volunteers earn milestone hours beginning at 150 hours. Nominate an Outstanding Hospital Volunteer of the Year from your Auxiliary. Complete the nomination form and send it to National Hospital Ambassador Vickie Rosse by March 15, 2019. Watch our foundation grow!
Eight bricks – Wear a Blue Teardrop sticker anytime of the year. When asked a question about the sticker, be prepared with the answer of suicide prevention awareness for veterans and military. Offer a card with Veterans Crisis Line contact information. Build awareness into our foundation.
Nine bricks – Purchase a subscription to Veterans’ Voices magazine. Subscriptions are $35 a year for 3 issues and are available by emailing volunteer@veteransvoices.org or calling 816-701-6844. After you read it, share the magazine at your doctor’s or dentist’s office. Provide copies of the Veterans’ Voices magazine at your Community Volunteer Recruitment event and your Family Freedom Festival. We’re growing stronger.
Community Volunteer Recruitment Week – November 5-11, 2018
These weeks are new this year and when a new idea is introduced, it’s important for you and fellow members to understand:
- What do they want me to do?
- What am I supposed to do?
The hospital volunteers’ purpose is to help veterans in numerous ways. Veterans rely on help when they get medical care. Volunteers supply the help for valet parking, patient escort, waiting room aide, record keeper, pharmacy receptionist and many more. It takes a large number of volunteers to keep veterans’ facilities running smoothly to provide proper care of veterans.
Let’s become hospital volunteers and encourage our community members to become sponsored volunteers in both VA and non-VA hospitals and medical facilities. Sponsored volunteers are defined as non-members of the VFW Auxiliary. Volunteers who wish to serve under VFW Auxiliary sponsorship and supervision as volunteers at VA and non-VA facilities or in VA community-based community service programs. They must be interviewed and screened in the same manner as VFW Auxiliary members. Upon acceptance, sponsored volunteers are governed by the same ethics and rules as prescribed for members.
Not all VFW Auxiliary members know how to apply for volunteer opportunities in their local facilities and their closest VA centers. Auxiliaries have the opportunity to supply the needed information. Every VFW and VFW Auxiliary member should have the chance to help veterans receiving medical care. With every new volunteer signed up, we all win.
Make your Community Volunteer Recruitment Week event a one-stop volunteer experience. Paper and online entry forms make it convenient to sign up. Rules and regulations printout can be in one place. Advertise in the hospital/nursing home newsletters, the Chamber of Commerce publications and all forms of social media.
November is a time for Thanks
We thank and honor veterans every day in this organization; however, there are two days in November that bring special attention to this group.
- Veterans Day – Thank veterans and active-duty service personnel.
- Thanksgiving – Thank U.S. forces for freedoms we often take for granted.
Give thanks to veterans receiving care or hospitalized veterans every day. Ways to lift their spirits include:
- Spending time with them
- Reading to them
- Listening to them
- Being respectful of their needs
- Talking with them
- Interacting with them by playing a game
- Decorating their room/area for the season
You will be the person with their spirits lifted.
VAVS NAC Volunteer of the Year
Annual awards are given by the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service National Advisory Committee (VAVS NAC) to one male and one female for Volunteer of the Year. The deadline is approaching for nominations. All complete applications and nominations must be in the hands of VFW Auxiliary National Representative Janice Holm by December 10, 2018. No exceptions will be made for mail delay, etc. All VFW Auxiliary VA Representatives and Deputy Representatives have been sent this information.
I wish you all a successful Community Volunteer Recruitment Week and a very Happy Thanksgiving!
