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AFSA International
Family Matters Trustee
April 2017
This month I’m going to focus on ways to help or honor our Veterans and also will list more fund-raising ideas.
Helping/Honoring Veterans --Here are some ways your Chapter and Family Memberscan help the Veterans in your community all year long:
Visit a wounded veteran at the hospital.
Offer your home repair skills to a veteran or military family. Help modify homes for wounded veterans that need ramps, handrails, etc.
Deliver a meal or care package to veterans.
Offer a vet a ride by volunteering with your local Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, which provides free transportation to men and women unable to travel to VA medical facilities on their own.
Visit the Corporation for National & Community Service at
Say “Thank You” in person or you can even send them a card.
When you see a soldier or veteran eating at a restaurant, pick up their tab.
Visit a local retirement home and chat with some elderly veterans who will share their stories.
Attend a presentation/speech being given by a veteran. Many retirement communities hold speaking events to honor their members who are veterans, so just call around to your local assisted living facilities to find an event.
Post a message on a social network thanking our veterans. You never know who is reading your posts and just needed to hear “thank you.”
Mow a veteran’s lawn, rake their leaves or shovel their snow.
Surprise a military family/veteran with a home-cooked meal.
Bring a bag of groceries to a veteran’s home.
Bake some sugar-free cookies and take them to the local VA retirement homes in your area.
When you see a soldier, just give them a smile, wink, thumbs up or a nod to let them know you appreciate them. They get it.
If you’re crafty, offer to help a veteran scrapbook their pictures, letters, etc., so they can share it with others.
Buy a veteran a military-themed gift.
Fundraisers
Walkathon for Veterans – you’ll need to determine a location and time and come up with an entrance fee amount. I suggest making flyers and passing them around the community. You could also design T-shirts and water bottles, which you could sell for extra money. Make sure you have medical and first-aid supplies nearby in the case of an accident.
Trivia Night – you can organize a Trivia Night by pairing up with a local bar or restaurant. Charge an admission fee for trivia teams who want to put their knowledge to the test. Be sure to have a good system for asking questions and getting teams’ answers; otherwise, you could have a disorganized mess on your hands. Below are some great trivia questions sites.
Dog & Car Wash – what a great way to involve Family Members! You definitely want to schedule this on a warm and sunny day. Advertise by hanging up flyers and posting on social media. Set up two stations – one for dogs and one for cars. Have someone be in charge of explaining the prices for each wash and collecting the money from customers. Make sure you explain where the funds are going as this could get your more donations.
Strike Gold – ask members to donate old jewelry they no longer wear and turn the gold in for cash.
Another Man’s Treasure – collect slightly used items from members to be sold at a yard sale.
Well, that about sums it up for this month! If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please feel free to contact me.
Thanks for all you do!
Until next time, take care and God Bless!
Patti Dalzell
Family Matters Trustee
4/5/2017