Greetings all my Auxiliary friends!
The holidays are over and we are starting the downhill road for the 2023/2024 year. I hope you all had wonderful times with your families and friends over Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Now we need to get busy and accomplish all the tasks that we want to finish and make sure that President Phil makes it to the Circle of Excellence at National Convention.
And now that the holidays are over, let’s look at what our Auxiliary did to help other organizations in our communities with their projects and report it.
This program has always been around, National has just changed the name and added a few requirements to the program in the past couple years. Our organization has always been active in our communities, we just need to remember to report it differently.
The VFW Auxiliary Outreach Program involves your Auxiliary volunteering to help other non-profit organizations, local groups and others with needs in your community. Auxiliary Outreach is time given to help, not monetary or in-kind donations. It is a partnership wherein one or more of your Auxiliary members help another organization or group make their project successful. Like us, many organizations are short on volunteers, so if we all join forces and work together, just imagine what great things we can accomplish!
In our area, most organizations plan things spontaneously – so make a blanket motion that your Auxiliary can help other organizations. It seems that the call for help always comes after our meeting and without the motion, we can help but not get credit for it, so plan ahead with a blanket motion. It has to be approved by vote at an Auxiliary meeting.
Suggestions for VFW Auxiliary Outreach
• Join with the local Chamber of Commerce and have your members volunteer to serve as Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause and provide candy for the youth.
• Serve food at soup kitchens or distribute food at food banks/cupboards.
• Join with the local school Booster Club and have auxiliary members work the concession stand at the local basketball games.
• Join with the local Lions Club to call bingo at a senior center or nursing home
• Help during your local town or city during elections but remain non-partisan.
• Partnerships can be a single day event or ongoing events throughout the year.
• Join with the local Chamber of Commerce and have your members volunteer to serve as Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause and provide candy for the youth.
• Serve food at soup kitchens or distribute food at food banks/cupboards.
• Join with the local school Booster Club and have auxiliary members work the concession stand at the local basketball games.
• Join with the local Lions Club to call bingo at a senior center or nursing home
• Help during your local town or city during elections but remain non-partisan.
• Partnerships can be a single day event or ongoing events throughout the year.
Benefits of the Auxiliary Outreach Program
• Helping others & learning new skills.
• Meeting new people & possibly getting new Auxiliary members
• Developing a sense of purpose
• Personal growth
Where does your Auxiliary find these partnership opportunities?
• Ask your Auxiliary members: Most members belong to more than one organization.
• Look in your local new newspaper for upcoming events.
Keys to making your Auxiliary Outreach Program successful
• Find organizations that need your help.
• One or more Auxiliary member(s) must participate
• Wear your VFW Auxiliary attire (name badge, shirt, hat, jacket, etc.)
• Report, report, report your hours volunteered
• Must be voted on by the Auxiliary to count
• Find organizations that need your help.
• One or more Auxiliary member(s) must participate
• Wear your VFW Auxiliary attire (name badge, shirt, hat, jacket, etc.)
• Report, report, report your hours volunteered
• Must be voted on by the Auxiliary to count
This year, Phil has asked that we share stories about our activities in our communities at our COA meetings. So PLEASE, PLEASE report to me what you are doing and tell me what made your event with another organization a success. Tell us what you did, how you participated and any fun things that happened. We want to learn from you what made the event a success so we can steal your ideas and make our events better! I look forward to hearing from each and every auxiliary with lots of exciting and fun stories. I can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone 970-749-9320. If I don’t answer, please leave me a message and I will return your call.
Good luck with all the activities in your communities.
Queenie Barz
Department Auxiliary Outreach