Matilda Brooks, Firefighter, volunteer
Matilda Brooks – Firefighter, volunteer

A former firefighter and lifelong volunteer to veterans and her community has been named DAV Auxiliary Member of the Year.

Matilda Brooks, Commander of Unit 144, Wappingers Falls, N.Y., will receive the honor at DAV’s 95th Annual Convention in Atlanta.

“A long time ago, my friends asked me to volunteer, and since then I have found that I love it,” she said, describing her more than 40 years of volunteer work.

Brooks is described as “simply an amazing woman” by DAV Auxiliary Adjutant Pat Kemper.

“She’s a very driven person,” Kemper said. “The impact of someone giving of themselves to their community for more than four decades is almost immeasurable.”

Brooks has contributed more than 83,000 hours over her lifetime at VA hospitals. She also served her community as a firefighter for more than 20 years. Today, she faithfully spends eight hours a day, Monday through Friday, volunteering as a DAV Transportation Network driver, a VA hospital volunteer and with clerical duties at her beloved fire department.

She also spreads the word about DAV and the Auxiliary’s mission.

“Matilda actively seeks new members while she is transporting patients and working [volunteer events],” said Cheryl Connors, DAV Auxiliary State Commander of New York. “She spends every moment she can doing for others.”

Connors said Brooks can, at any given time, be found in her community volunteering, baking, cooking, working fire or accident scenes and being an endless comfort to everyone around her.

Brooks’ DAV Auxiliary membership is through her brother, a disabled veteran who served in Korea and Vietnam.

She has held every office of DAV Auxiliary leadership and committee chair within her state. Currently, she serves as the state conductress, whose duties include assisting with ceremonies, unit meetings and state conventions, among others.

Brooks’ awards for service to her community include Volunteer of the Year at the Castle Point Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System, numerous plaques of honor from the Chelsea Fire Company and several certificates of merit from the mayor’s office in Wappingers Falls.

“Matilda’s accomplishments are plainly outstanding,” said DAV Auxiliary Commander Linda Stake. “It’s a special someone who is brave enough to fight fires but tender enough to keep enriching the lives of her community’s veterans. She is truly a blessing.”

Brooks said she was “very happy” to have been selected as the award recipient, but she didn’t have time for a longer interview. She was on her way to volunteer at the local VA hospital for bingo night.