CONTRIBUTE

The VFW’s National Military Services (NMS) is the driving force behind our troop and family support efforts.

Home to the ever-popular, ever-vital VFW Operation Uplink™ program, the Unmet Needs program and the Military Assistance Program (MAP), NMS has made a significant impact in the lives of millions of service members and their families.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of students participate in the VFW’s Voice of Democracy (VOD) and Patriot's Pen audio-essay competitions. Created to foster patriotism among our nation’s youth, VFW scholarship programs award winners more than $3.4 million in scholarships and incentives as well as an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.

Each year, our nationwide network of VFW Service Officers assist more than 120,000 veterans nationwide. From assisting veterans in filing for disability compensation to requesting hearings before the VA Board of Appeals, these skilled professionals garner over a billion dollars in compensation benefits for veterans annually.   

Sometimes a simple phone call home is the best morale boost for a deployed soldier. Each month, VFW’s Operation Uplink™ program hosts “Free Call Days” during which soldiers can call home free of charge. To date, Operation Uplink has provided more than 6.1 million free calls home for soldiers and hospitalized veterans. 

Unmet Needs helps to meet the critical needs of service members and their families who experience a sudden financial hardship, oftentimes during a deployment.

To date Unmet Needs has provided more than $4.3 million in emergency financial grants to military families across the nation.

The Military Assistance Program (MAP) is the outstretched hand from the VFW to military units. MAP offers grants to VFW Posts that participate in military unit functions, such as sponsoring "Farewell and Welcome Home Activities," "Family Readiness Group" events or other sponsorship ideas.

Among all the flowers that evoke the memories and emotions of war is the red poppy. Since 1924, VFW Buddy Poppies have been assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA hospitals. The Buddy Poppy program assists in maintaining state and national rehabilitation and service programs for veterans.