Hello, My Auxiliary Brothers and Sisters,
It is an honor to be serving as your Department President for the 2024-2025 year. I want to thank every active service member and veteran, especially those who are members of my family, that have taken the Oath of Enlistment and sacrificed much for our country. Without them, we would not be able to enjoy our lives as we do today.
Thank you to all the members of the VFW Auxiliary and VFW, that have mentored and guided me along my auxiliary journey, and to everyone who continues to mentor and guide me. The friendships I have made and the lessons I have been taught have shaped, and continue to shape, my journey with the VFW Auxiliary and all that I know can be done to help our service members and veterans. A huge thank you to my husband, William – who is always by my side even when I take him on crazy adventures, thank you to my children, Jacob and Meredith – who have been to many meetings, COAs, Conventions, and events with me, thank you to my parents, Chris and Rowena – who have always encouraged and supported me, as well as had many weekends of grandparent duty to help with my children so we could attend many VFW & Auxiliary functions, thank you to my siblings, Holly, Twila and Christopher – who are always there to lend a hand when I need to be crafty, or a shoulder when things have me down, thank you to my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Chris and Cathy Flores – who have attended and helped with many events as members of the auxiliary and who have also had many weekends where they have taken on grandparent duty so that we could attend VFW & Auxiliary functions, and many thanks to the Past Department Presidents and to many of the National Line Officers who have given words of encouragement and advice throughout the last few years.
As many of you already know, I have a passion for helping others, and do so in all aspects of my life, both through my career and in all my volunteering. My special project this year will be a combined special project with VFW Commander Carol Thomas. The project we have chosen is that of the White Ribbon. The White Ribbon is one that focuses on awareness and prevention of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence. This project is very near and dear to my heart and I believe that any individual, veteran or not, should never have to go through their journey of healing alone, as it takes tremendous courage to even speak up about these topics, much less voice that it is happening to them. Funds that are raised for the project will go to a specified program through the IPVAP (Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program), called “Equine-imity,” within the Rocky Mountain Regional VA that partners with equine healing and will be used to help survivors on their journey to recovery. The program recognizes that veterans face many unique issues and challenges in their road to healing, and sometimes that means thinking outside the box of traditional approaches of counseling.
The project that has been chosen will tie into my theme for this year, which is “All Veterans, All Voices,” as the VFW and its Auxiliary is one voice for veterans when we need those in Washington D.C. to take notice of what our veterans need, but in our own home areas we need to recognize that each veteran that we come across is unique and has their own story. For each of us to be able to help them to the best of our abilities, we need to listen to their stories and their voices, or we may miss something important.
I am so excited for this coming year, and to be working alongside our Commander, to continue growing the relationship between the VFW & Auxiliary, and to foster great relationships between the Auxiliaries and membership throughout the state. I thank each and every one of you for all of the hard work and dedication you put into caring for our veterans. Even the smallest acts of kindness can change the world, and that is what each of you do every day and every time you help our veterans, active military personnel, and their families. Again, I am so honored and humbled to be serving as your Auxiliary Department President for the next year, and I cannot wait to see all that each auxiliary has in store to make the year a successful one!
Warmest Wishes,