COMMENTARY From the AUXILIARY NATIONAL COMMANDER DIANE J. FRANZ W Spring into action ith the harsh winter months behind us and summer quickly approaching, spring is an opportunity to rejuvenate yourself and rekindle your motivation to give back to our nation’s veterans. As a new generation of disabled veterans returns from service—and the numbers of veterans of the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras who need assistance increase—our nation’s heroes need our help, and there is no more fitting time to get involved than during National Volunteer Month in April. In 2007, DAV began the Local Veterans Assistance Program, or LVAP. This program recognizes creative volunteerism to support veterans. Volunteers can complete activities such as performing yard work or home repairs, running errands, shoveling snow, cooking or painting. Auxiliary members who volunteer for LVAP can receive credit for their time. These hours are also used when determining eligibility for the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship. Like all medical facilities, Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, nursing homes and clinics need volunteers to perform a wide range of duties. Some work directly with patients, participating in recreational programs and other activities on the wards. Others assist the VA’s professional staff, escort patients, serve coffee or simply provide companionship to veteran patients. To learn about voluntary service programs in your area, please contact your nearest facility using the VA Medical Center Directory. More recently, DAV launched VolunteerforVeterans.org. The site makes it easy to help America’s veterans or to get the volunteer help you need. It is a nationwide resource designed to connect volunteers with initiatives, veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors. It creates a database to match opportunities with civic-minded individuals and organizations. Opportunities are as limitless and varied as the needs of our nation’s veterans, particularly those changed by war. From basic assistance around the house to unique opportunities that require special skills, services to improve the lives of veterans, their families and survivors can be added to the site. I encourage all DAV Auxiliary members to seek out volunteer opportunities that fit their skill sets and interests as a way to give back to veteran families in their local communities. Also, we must promote these incredibly valuable tools to our unit members in order to assist as many veterans and their families as we can. It is these dedicated men, women and children who make the DAV Auxiliary mission of “Making a Difference” a reality. 26 DAV MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2020 | DAV.ORG
Issue Articles
Spring into action
DIANE J. FRANZ
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