WASHINGTON – Thousands of members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
volunteer their time at local Department of Veterans Affairs health care facilities
every year to make sure their fellow veterans receive the compassion and
support they need and deserve. The VFW now wants to recognize their selfless
contributions as VA Volunteers of the Year, nominations for which must be
submitted in writing to the VFW’s National Veterans Service directorate by Dec.
15, 2015.
“VFW
volunteers have made a difference in the lives of countless veterans ever since
the VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) program was founded in 1946,” said VFW National
Commander John A. Biedrzycki Jr. “From delivering cards and candy to leading
prayer services, hosting movie nights, or just to lend an attentive ear or
helping hand, these dedicated men and women deserve to know that the VFW deeply
appreciates the personal attention they provide to every veteran.”
The
VAVS Volunteer of the Year awards will honor one male and one female volunteer
who have provided extraordinary service to our nation’s veterans. Nominees for
VFW honors must be regularly-scheduled volunteers who participate in established
VFW assignment through the VAVS program at a qualifying facility or program.
These can include VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, veterans’ community
living centers, homeless veterans’ programs, and programs or services for
veterans confined to their homes, as well as other community functions and
events recognized by VAVS.
VFW
volunteer James Fortune was honored as the 2014 VA Volunteer of the Year for
his years of work supporting veterans at the Dayton VA Medical Center in Ohio.
Organization-wide, VFW volunteers across the country that year recorded more
than 700,000 volunteer hours at hundreds of VA facilities. VA reported that the
dollar value of the volunteer hours exceeded $15 million in care, services and
support for veterans.
Nominations
for the VFW’s VA Volunteers of the Year must be submitted in narrative format
not to exceed 500 words, with the name of the nominee and the VFW marked in the
upper left-hand corner. Nominations must be sent to James Moss, VFW National
Veterans Service assistant director for health policy, by close of business
Dec. 15, 2015. Nominations can be submitted electronically to jmoss@vfw.org or by mail to VFW National
Veterans Service, Attn: James Moss, 200 Maryland Ave.,
NE, Washington, DC 20002.
To learn more about the VAVS program and to
learn how to become a VFW volunteer, visit ww.vfw.org/VolunteerService.