Local VFW post works hard for the community

Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Although the Hollis VFW Post is relatively new (founded in 1992) and small (48 members) with 7 members active, it does a lot for the community and veterans of Hollis and Brookline. Teaming up with the Brookline American Legion, the two organizations cover the two towns with great interaction as they have members who belong to both groups. But, this is about the VFW and what it does for the community.

Hollis VFW is the driving force behind the annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies in town. Although relatively sparsley attended, these two events are very patriotic in nature and remind the public that veterans are around us every day and contribute to our way of life. The public is reminded that Memorial Day is to remember the deceased who gave all to support our freedom to live as we do while Veterans Day is a day of celebration for the survivors of armed conflicts, cold war and peacetime service. With funds raised during twice a year Poppy Drives at the Hollis Transfer Station (Memorial Day and Veterans Day weekends) the Post sends “care packages” to troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. The recent shipment contained 40 small packs of hygiene items containing donated items from local merchants. Things like dental floss, chap stick, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, and the most useful “baby wipes” are items needed by the troops. The Post also sponsored, thru it’s web site (www.hollisvfw.org), a fund drive to purchase sleeping bags for a group deployed to Afghanistan. Although our military is issued sleeping bags, they are the same design that was issued for troops during the Korean conflict and are not “state of the art” design. The newer, lighter and more efficient bags are only given to Special Forces and Navy Seals. The Post contributed $600 and raised another $400 from the community to help provide newer, more efficient sleeping bags for 44 personnel being deployed. Although not nearly enough to purchase 44 bags, the funds will be combined with more donations from other sources to provide as many bags as the funds will buy.

This may be “blowing one’s own horn” but, if the public doesn’t know what the VFW Post does, someone has to tell them. The Post has filled the “wish list” of 30 veterans at the Tilton Veterans Home for their Christmas needs for the past several years. This year, due to a change in VA policy, shopping for specific individuals was not permitted so the Post sent money to help fill those wish lists. The residents of Hollis and Brookline had been receiving the names and specific wish list of one of the veterans and went shopping for those items, in past years. That process changed this year, to the dismay of many volunteer shoppers. The Post participates at the local schools providing students with an insight into the life of a veteran. Every year the Middle School sends students on a Washington DC trip. Prior to that trip, veterans are invited into the school for a day’s program. The veterans (all veterans are invited) are split up among classrooms for several periods to educate and answer questions from students who may be meeting a veteran for the first time in their lives. The Post provides a color guard for the Cal Ripkin baseball season kick off parade and the Hollis Old Home Day parade.

The Post also conducts contests for students which can lead to as much as a $20,000.00 scholarship for winners at the post level who progress from smaller local, district, State awards and then the grand prize for the National Winner. Middle School students compete in a Patriot’s Pen essay contest while High School students compete in a Voice of Democracy oral recording contest.

It is unfortunate that many members of the VFW Post, who live in the area, choose not to be active. The demand on time is minimal but the impact to the community is great. This fact is only surpassed by the fact that there are many veterans who are eligible to belong to VFW or American Legion who choose not to join. With today’s rapid paced society and the lack of need for fraternal organizations, it is understandable that there are few “joiners”. But, when family members of a deceased veteran or a veteran in need of help with veterans benefits come to the local organizations seeking help, it points out the fact that they could have been educated in benefits available to them and how to access them long before there was an urgent need.

So, when you go to the local transfer station on those two Saturdays before each holiday of Veterans Day and Memorial Day and you see a veteran standing there handing out Poppys, you can be assured that your donation is going to benefit the community and other veterans. There is not enough room in this article to point out each specific area where donations and assistance is given to support veterans in need. Hollis VFW meets on the third Sunday of every month and meetings last one hour. April thru September, the meetings are at the Brookline American Legion Hall at 7 PM. October thru March, the meetings are at the Hollis Town Hall at 2 PM. If you are a veteran, eligible for American Legion or VFW, we invite you to join us and help us help others.

Jim Belanger

Commander

Hollis VFW