On Dec. 2, 2024, members of VFW Post 7775 in Charlotte, North Carolina, got together to continue its new annual tradition: a holiday celebration with a focus on strengthening camaraderie and community.
Retired sergeant major and then-Post 7775 Commander Bridget Lightner planned the event in 2023. She envisioned a celebration that would include Post and Auxiliary members, their families and even members of neighboring Posts.
Post member Lisa Tolufashe, in holiday sweater, is served a meal at Post 7775’s holiday celebration.VFW District 13 Commander Jake Drisker, whom Lightner has collaborated closely with to plan and coordinate events within the community, also was invited to join the festivities, highlighting the bond between the Post and the District.
Guests were invited to partake in a “white elephant” gift exchange and encouraged to donate coats and socks for homeless veterans. These articles of clothing were given to Kimberly Davis, the volunteer coordinator at the VA clinic in Charlotte.
“The event strengthened fellowship and renewed our shared spirit of service,” Lightner said. “It was a time of laughter and fun, as we celebrated the season of giving, love and peace. Still serving, always.”
The current Post commander, Henry Coaxum, was planning to continue the tradition last year featuring a partnership with Livingstone College’s Culinary Department, in which students prepare meals for the Post.
COLLABORATIONS WITH VFW DISTRICT 13
VFW District 13 and Post 7775 have long collaborated with one another to help benefit the local community.
“Drisker’s vision is to ensure we meet our goals of giving back to the community and recruiting, while demonstrating solidarity and #StillServing,” Lightner said.
On May 3, 2025, for the annual VFW Day of Service, the Post, along with District 13 and VFW Posts 1160, 9337, 2423 and 6724 participated in a community blood drive. The event also included participation from the Red Cross, Humana and local first responders.
In collaboration with the Winston-Salem, North Carolina. VA Regional Office, Post 7775 and District 13 helped connect veterans, spouses and caregivers with on-site claims representatives over the weekend of Aug. 8-10, 2024. Joined by North Carolina District 106 State Representative Carla Cunningham, members of the Post helped serve food at the event, feeding more than 800 participants during the weekend.
Lightner secured a private doner to help provide more than 350 Chick-Fil-A sandwiches for the event.
To help provide relief for Hurricane Helena, Post 7775 and District 13 convened at the VFW Department of North Carolina Fall Conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, to help collect clothing, food items and toys. VFW members also accepted monetary donations for victims of the natural disaster, which impacted western North Carolina in September 2024.
District 13 donated more than $55,000 worth of supplies.
Post 7775 and District 13 show no signs of stopping their efforts to serve their communities. Lightner said she is proud to continue her service, even after taking off the uniform.
This article is featured in the 2026 January/February issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Danny Cook, senior writer for VFW magazine.