Last week, VFW Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief Brian Duffy was on hand in Louisville, Ky. as local VFW and Ladies Auxiliary members rolled up their sleeves and got to work in support of a special project called “Operation Delivering Dreams.” The cooperative community service project, sponsored by UPS and over 30 local businesses, built a children’s playground at a local neighborhood community center, Neighborhood House.
Neighborhood House serves the neighborhood of Portland, one of Louisville’s oldest but also most impoverished communities. According to the Neighborhood House, nearly 40% of Portland households live on $15,000/year or less. Every day, the center provides educational resources and programs to hundreds of children and adults in hopes of improving lives and breaking the cycle of poverty.
Included in the mostly-veteran volunteer force were Junior Vice Commander Duffy, VFW Department of Kentucky Commander Martha Cassity and many VFW Post and Ladies Auxiliary members from District 6. In addition to the estimated 168 volunteer hours, the VFW also donated a flag for the center’s gym. “I was proud to see ‘Team VFW’ participate and showcase our community service commitment and know-how," said Department Commander Cassity.
Built in just one work day, the new playground included swings, slides, and theater and picnic areas. "The mission focus and inherent teamwork skills of our VFW and Ladies Auxiliary members [were] exhilarating to witness," said Dwight Riggle, VFW District 6 commander.
"Operation Delivering Dreams" successfully harnessed local veteran’s "can-do" attitude and motivation to give back to their local community. Those attitudes, as evidenced by the 7.9 million volunteer hours donated annually by VFW members to their local communities, are increasingly common among VFW and Ladies Auxiliary members.