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American Legion Auxiliary Unit 716
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We are spouses, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters & granddaughters of American Legion members, those who have served America with pride and honor. We are The American Legion Auxiliary! Mission Statement
In the spirit of Service, Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and to honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and Country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace and security. Vision Statement The vision of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion while becoming the premier service organization and foundation of every community providing support for our veterans, our military, and their families by shaping a positive future in an atmosphere of fellowship, patriotism, peace and security. |
President's Message
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!!!! MAY IS POPPY MONTH!!!! The ladies of the Auxiliary would like to wish everyone a Happy and safe Memorial Day weekend. As you enjoy barbecues or outings with your loved ones and friends, please take a moment to honor those who gave their all to protect our freedom. Wear your Poppy with pride, let everyone know what they stand for:
We are very excited to have you join us!! We hope to have you in our rosters for a very long time. I hope to see you this coming Monday at our meeting. Last but not least, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Mother’s Day!!! contact me if you have any questions or concerns, Mary Hernandez Unit President 562-3051-239 Until then, Mary Hernandez President 2022-2023 Unit 716 Officers
President Mary Hernandez
First Vice Vacant Second Vice Susana Stevens Secretary Kristin Landis Treasurer Marcy Garcia Chaplains Rita Jones and Yolanda Torres Sgt At Arms Desire Black Executive Board Toni Mikrut, Danna Hamling and Yolanda Torres Jr Past President Kelly Huff May
5-Cinco De Mayo 8- Military Spouse Appreciation Day 13 - Mother’s Day 20 - Armed Forces 26 - National Poppy Day 29 - Memorial Day Ways to volunteer
Service Not Self is a core value of the American Legion Auxiliary; it motivates our members into action. Last year, the impact of ALA members' mission service exceeded $1.5 billion - the value of our 15.5 million hours of volunteer service plus all the money raised and spent supporting our veterans and outreach programs. The ALA matters, indeed! Volunteer at an ALA Girls State Event Help young women develop leadership skills! ALA Girls State programs instill patriotism and help shape America's future leaders. Contact your ALA department to learn how you can become involved in your state's ALA Girls State program. Nominate a Child in Your Community for the ALA Youth Hero and Good Deed Award Do you know of youth in your community who have donated their time to a worthy veteran, military family, or servicemember event? Nominate them for the ALA's Good Deed Award. How about a Junior member who has demonstrated a physical act of valor? Nominate them for the Youth Hero Award. Donate Blood Donating blood to those in need is a great way to serve your community. It also supports our nation's security! Learn more about American Red Cross blood donation programs and find a blood drive near you Recognize Blue Star Families It's an American tradition to display a Blue Star Banner in the window of a home when a loved one is proudly serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is a reminder that military servicemembers are a part of every community. You can honor military servicemembers in your community by presenting a Blue Star Banner to their family members. Make a Buddy Basket A large number of homeless veterans have difficulty finding transitional or permanent housing. Help those who are making a fresh start by providing them with a Buddy Basket - a housewarming gift for formerly homeless veterans who have recently found housing. Baskets usually contain such things as cleaning supplies, linens, towels, dishes, and cutlery. Provide Service to Veterans Many of our aging or disabled veterans and their caregivers would appreciate some help around the house since many are not able to take care of housekeeping tasks themselves. Volunteer to do light home repairs, yard work, wash a car, or cook a meal. Attend a Patriotic Event Attending a patriotic event is a great way to show your love of country. Of course, many event organizers would welcome volunteer help in planning the event, setting up, working concessions, or taking down the event. Monitor the community news, especially around holiday time, to see if an event is happening near you. Determine if they need volunteers; if not, you could always just show up with your family to support your community. Volunteer as a Poll Worker on Election Day Voting is an important civic duty that every citizen should perform. In addition to voting, you can help others to do so by volunteering as a poll worker on election days or offering to drive people to the polls. Find out more by contacting the board of elections in your community or by visiting the federal Election Assistance Commission. Organize an ALA Star Spangled Kids Activity Educating our children about American history is extremely important to our country's civic health. Star Spangled Kids is the American Legion Auxiliary initiative to educate our youth about United States history, Americanism, and the U.S. Constitution. If you want to share with young people why you love America, learn more about this great civics-for-kids initiative! Invite Veterans to Local Schools We all have a veteran in our lives. Many ALA members also have school-age children or grandchildren, which affords access to their schools. Ask the veteran(s) you're connected with to share their story with students. Who better to talk to our youth about freedom and civic responsibility? Improve the Home of a Veteran Improving the home of a veteran, servicemember, or a community facility used by the military and veteran population is a great way to bring direct change to one person, family, or community. Set up a Benefits Briefing for Student Veterans Attainment of a high quality education is often a predictor of an individual's employment, standard of living, and quality of life. Many veterans may not know of educational and other veterans benefits available to them. As a debt of gratitude, Americans owe it to our servicemembers, veterans, and their families to help them receive a quality education. Volunteer with the VA Veteran patients at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers depend on volunteers for their recovery. ALA members have served as VA Voluntary Service volunteers for decades; you can do your part as a member too! Take a look to see how you can get started as a VAVS volunteer. Teach Flag Etiquette Lessons The American flag is the symbol of our nation and deserves our care and respect. Have you thought about teaching members of your local community flag etiquette? It is important for people of all ages to know about the history of the flag and the proper way to care for it. Teaching flag etiquette can be a great service project for the whole family. Organize a "Give 10" School Supply Drive Military children often can use extra school supplies. Running a school supply drive is a great family service project opportunity. The American Legion Auxiliary's Give 10 program allows families to work together to collect supplies such as binders, pencils, paper, rulers, calculators, and backpacks. Distribute Poppies Since World War I, the poppy has been a symbol of remembrance to those who sacrificed their lives in war. Around National Poppy Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day, American Legion Auxiliary members distribute millions of poppies, handmade by veterans as part of their therapeutic rehabilitation, in exchange for donations that go directly to help disabled and hospitalized veterans. Distributing poppies is a great way for the whole family to serve veterans. Organize a Canned Food Drive or Clothing Drive for Veterans Some veterans and their families could really benefit from extra help with food or clothing. A great way you can help is to organize a canned food drive or used clothing drive. Why not get the whole family involved? Your kids can collect donations from school friends or Legion friends while adults can ask for donations from the local grocery store, places of worship, or neighbors. It is generally easy to start right away and can be a great service project for the whole family. Be sure you have a receiving veteran family or organization in need for your collection and that they can accept what you plan to collect. Visit Veterans at a Local Senior Center or VA Home Sometimes all you need to do to help a veteran is be there - a friendly face willing to listen. Many veterans deeply appreciate the opportunity to have some company or play cards and games. Consider taking your children to your local veterans home or senior center - a great learning opportunity for children to spend some quality time with veterans who will appreciate the kindness. |
Monday,
May 8th, 2023 at 7pm 
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