By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
Lillian Arcand is the president of the VFW Auxiliary at the William F. Davitt Post 625 in Chicopee, MA. A 54-year member, she not only oversees the work of the post’s Auxiliary, she is also the state’s Americanism chairman and patriotic instructor, a program that promotes patriotism, teaches respect and proper care for the U.S. Flag and brings attention to POWs and those Missing in Action.
Prime reached out to Arcand for information about the VFW Auxiliary and how people can support the mission of this decades-old non-profit. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What is the mission of the VFW Auxiliary? How long has the organization been pursuing these goals?
“The mission of the VFW Auxiliary is to work with our active military abroad and our retired veterans to advocate for their needs, be that housing or healthcare benefits, improved pay or whatever military families and our retired veterans require. This can include adopting units that are deployed overseas and sending care packages to them, writing letters to legislators in support of programs for military families and retirees, hosting activities at local VA hospitals, veterans homes and nursing homes, supporting programs that aid homeless veterans and those suffering from PTSD, providing scholarships for the children of active and retired military, and conducting patriotic programs with students that educate them on proper flag etiquette and military service.
“The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary was established in 1914 to serve America’s veterans and honor the sacrifice of men and women who served in uniform. The VFW Auxiliary is one of the nation’s oldest veteran’s services organizations, comprised of the relatives of individuals who have served in combat overseas. There are more than 470,000 members in 3,800 Auxiliaries nationwide, who donate millions of hours and fundraise millions of dollars for the Auxiliaries charitable work.”
Q: What is the criteria to join the VFW Auxiliary? Who should someone contact?
“To become a member of the VFW Auxiliary, you must be at least 16 years of age, and be the grandparent, parent, spouse (or widow/widower), brother/sister, child or grandchild (or step or adoptive parent, grandparent, sibling) of an honorably discharged veteran who has received a campaign medal for overseas service, served 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days in Korea, or received hostile fire or imminent danger pay. The veteran may be living or deceased. In either case, you need to provide documentation – discharge papers (usually a DD214) or notice of death – when applying to join the Auxiliary. For example, in my case I joined under my grandfather, who served in World War I. I could have also joined under my brother, who served in Vietnam.
“To join the VFW Auxiliary, contact your local VFW post and ask to be put in contact with the post’s Auxiliary president, who can help you through the application process. To find your nearest VFW, visit www.vfw.org/find-a-post and enter your zip code where prompted. To locate military records for your relative who served, call the National Archives and Records Administration at 1-866-272-6272 or visit www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.”
Q: If you aren't eligible to join the Auxiliary, are there other ways you can help them to support their work?
“If you aren’t eligible to join the VFW Auxiliary, you can still support their work. You can volunteer at a nursing home that cares for veterans, or go up to the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home and volunteer. The VA Medical Center in Leeds – near Northampton – is also always looking for volunteers to help work with veterans. In Leeds, you can also volunteer to work with Soldier On, which assists homeless service men and women. You can volunteer to work with the USO at Westover Reserve Air Base in Chicopee.
“If you – or your church or senior center – knows of a serviceperson or unit deployed overseas, you can send care packages and cards to that person or unit.”
