April 4 marked the third annual DAV Community Impact Day. Participation doubled from last year, with more than 2,000 people taking the pledge to commit at least an hour of their time volunteering for veterans.
Thank you to everyone who participated and made DAV Community Impact Day a success, and thank you to those who shared pictures and stories from your volunteer events. Here are some of our favorites:
Nebraska
Volunteers with DAV Chapter 7 and Auxiliary Unit 7 in Lincoln built a fence for fellow DAV member and former benefits advocate Mike Webb.
Webb retired from DAV after being diagnosed with ALS. A recent storm had destroyed the old fence, and with no wheelchair ramp to his backyard, Webb had a hard time letting his service dog outside.
“The rain held out, and we got it done,” said DAV member Melissa Allen, who helped organize the volunteers. “We are so happy that we were able to come together and get this done for [Mike and his] service dog.”
Webb and his wife, Monica, were thankful for the help.
“Mike can now let his dog out on his own, hanging on to that independence!” Monica wrote. “I’m so proud to be a fellow veteran with you all.”
West Virginia
When Jacie Jarrells from Dunlow heard the call for volunteers on her local news station, the ninth grader immediately knew she needed to do something. So she pledged her time and contacted the Hershel “Woody” Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington to ask what she could do to help. She was told that the hospital needed snack cakes.
“Perfect,” Jacie said. “One of my teachers at school calls me ‘Little Debbie’ because it’s a running joke about how much I love them.”
Jacie shared DAV’s Community Impact Day posts and rallied her community to raise money for the snacks. She then purchased the treats and delivered them to the medical center, where they’ll be given to patients to have with their morning coffee, as a snack between doctor visits and to help those with diabetes bring their blood sugar up.
“This experience for me was very rewarding because I know how just these little cakes make me feel, so sharing this joy with others makes me smile,” Jacie said. “Veterans are the foundation of our country, and I believe that we forget too often just how much they have sacrificed in their lives for this country.”
Texas
Volunteers with DAV Chapter 233 in Sugar Land partnered with other local veterans organizations for a day of service and outreach.
Volunteers provided food support, assisted with Department of Veterans Affairs claims, facilitated a blood drive, and created cards for deployed service members and veterans in hospitals and care facilities.
“This is what it looks like when veteran organizations unite with one mission—to uplift, support and make a real difference,” said Leena Dees, a Chapter 233 member. “Together, we are stronger and our impact goes further.”
Roundup
Top row: Members of DAV Chapter 4 in New Port Richey, Florida, painted a veteran’s house. DAV Auxiliary Unit 204 members in Gilmer, Texas, served breakfast for local veterans. Nora Fisher, a member of DAV Chapter 9 in Johnson City, Tennessee, ran the “Joggin’ for the Noggin” 5K to raise funds for traumatic brain injury research. Bottom row: Bill Ferris of Chapter 8 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, organized about 25 volunteers to help with a garden cleanup at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. Members of DAV Chapter 12 and Auxiliary Unit 12 in Klamath Falls, Oregon, wrote and mailed letters to all their members as an outreach effort to check in on them. Sixteen volunteers with DAV Chapter 16 and Auxiliary Unit 16 in Orlando, Florida, hosted a lunch cookout for more than 50 veterans at the Cascade Heights senior living community in Longwood
A special thank-you goes to Sinclair Media Group, who partnered with DAV through its Sinclair Cares initiative. Sinclair spread the word through its network of more than 160 television stations around the country to raise awareness about DAV Community Impact Day. Reporters from local news outlets shared many of your stories of service. Sinclair also donated $25,000 to DAV and streamed a special DAV Community Impact Day broadcast highlighting volunteer events in Oklahoma, Montana, West Virginia and Ohio.
“The men and women who wear our nation’s uniform deserve our unwavering support,” said Rob Weisbord, Sinclair’s chief operating officer and president of local media. “DAV’s commitment to veterans and their families reflects the very best of community service. We are honored to stand alongside them.”
To stay connected with other service opportunities DAV offers, visit volunteerforveterans.org.
