National Commander Message

Coleman Nee, Commander

Meet the challenge of impacting your community through volunteerism

During the holidays, I urged you to focus on food insecurity by volunteering at local food pantries and delivering meals to veterans in need. Though food insecurity is a perennial issue nationwide, it was a seasonal request that many of you met with the open hearts and outstretched arms characteristic of DAV volunteers. For that, I can’t thank you enough.

As we move into spring, I have another challenge for you, and it’s one I’m confident we can meet because of the dedication and enduring spirit of volunteerism I’ve witnessed at all levels of DAV.

Last year, DAV Community Impact Day saw nearly a thousand volunteers across the country give back to veterans in their communities. With your help, we’re hoping to double that number on April 4 during the third annual event.

Volunteer opportunities like DAV Community Impact Day remain the most authentic and effective ways to interact with veterans, military families and the American public. Whether delivering meals, doing yardwork, organizing homeless stand-downs or participating in any of the countless other activities that fill the gaps in veterans’ lives, the face-to-face engagement of our organization’s volunteers reminds those in need that they’re not alone.

This hands-on approach also makes DAV Community Impact Day one of our strongest membership recruiting tools. There’s a significant difference between explaining what DAV does and demonstrating it through action. When the public and veterans who aren’t yet members witness DAV volunteers actively improving their neighborhoods, assisting veterans or supporting local families, they see our mission in motion. Those experiences leave a lasting impression that speeches and brochures simply can’t match.

But to capitalize on this opportunity, we need your help.

Please turn to Page 8, scan the QR code, and pledge as little as an hour of your day. That may not seem like much, but by investing our time and energy, we honor the service of our nation’s veterans with tangible support and create a collective impact that lasts much longer than an hourglass.

To learn more about the event, visit communityimpactday.org, where you can also find a Quickstart Guide outlining ideas for volunteering and ways you can help spread the word.

DAV Community Impact Day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a powerful reminder of how meaningful service begins at the local level. But at its heart, it’s about showing up, rolling up our sleeves and connecting with the veterans we serve.

Together, we can make April 4 the most successful DAV Community Impact Day yet.

Are you ready to meet that challenge?

If you want to find out more about the National Commander, you can find his biography here.