To the editor:
The Atmore Memorial VFW Auxiliary to Post 7016 would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to those who continue to support our veterans, their families, our community, and our organization. The Auxiliary year runs from June 1st through May 31st; we are wrapping up the 2016-2017 year and have already begun to plan for 2017-2018. We would like for our community to know that all we do for our veterans could not be accomplished without your continued support and encouragement.
We have several national programs that we work with each year. Each one is designated to assist our veterans and their families. This past year we hosted Art Card Collection Day to collect greeting cards to be used in arts and crafts programs at the VFW National Children’s Home; with the Sneakers4Vets project we collected sneakers and house shoes to be donated to Veterans’ facilities across the state. We participated with “The Wall That Heals,” the traveling Vietnam War Memorial. We placed flags at local cemeteries for Memorial Day and shipped goodies to active duty servicemen and -women.
We led local Pre-K children at First Baptist Pre-School and Fred L. McGhee Early Learning Center in the Pledge of Allegiance on December 7th. These young children were amazing! Each class of children recited the Pledge confidently and proudly and sang us patriotic songs. It was very evident that they are being taught at an early age what it is to be an American and to be respectful of the flag and all it stands for.
In September we recognized our local First Responders on Patriots Day and set up the Missing Man Table at the Anchor Café and Lavan Martin Assisted Living Facility on POW MIA Day.
We participated in several community events, such as the Fall Festival and Christmas Festival at Poarch.
In addition to meeting all the program needs, we also assisted veterans and their families on a personal basis throughout the year by assisting with home repair after storm damage, with transportation and home care, and with medical needs, etc. Sometimes just being there means more than a veteran can vocalize.
Our two biggest events of the year were the annual Veterans Day Breakfast and Vietnam Veterans Day Celebration. We host the annual Veterans Day Breakfast at the Anchor Café on Veteran’s Day; each year the number of veterans served has increased from the previous year. Our annual Vietnam Veterans Day activities were almost rained out, but we cannot express our thanks and gratitude to all those who helped make this event a success.
We close by saying “Thank You” to the City of Atmore, Mayor Jim Staff, City Council Members, Poarch Creek Indians, Atmore Fire and Police Departments, Poarch Fire and Police Departments, VFW Community Foundation, Anchor Café, Coley’s Petals & Parties, Sheryl Vickery and the Atmore Chamber of Commerce, the Atmore YMCA, Atmore News, Atmore Advance, Tri-City Ledger, Sherry Digmon and Myrna Monroe, Pepsi, Advance America, WGYJ 93.5 FM Radio and the Gehman family. We could go on and on, the list to cover everyone who has supported our organization is enormous!
If you would like to join our organization, just give us a call at (251)359-0768.
Thank you!
Gayle Johnson, President
Atmore Memorial VFW Auxiliary