Indiana Day 2013

A great day was had by all – in spite of the rainy fall weather – at Indiana Day 2013. Department VFW Leslie Ackerman welcomed attendees and introduced Department Auxiliary VFSC Elizabeth Troxell.

Buddy Poppy Girl Unity led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance. Indiana VFW Department Commander Gregory Baker, Department President Jean Haggard, District 8 Trustee Dave Havely, and National Home Executive Director Patrice Green each spoke to the crowd.

The kids enjoyed carnival games, the bounce house, and more. Attendees took self-guided walking tours of the Indiana House, Firebarn, Guest Lodge and Chapel, Nursery, Museum, and Administration Building.

The day closed with a short prayer by the chaplain.

Thank you, Department of Indiana VFW and Ladies Auxiliary for all the great things you do!

View more pictures of Indiana Day 2013 here.

Lake Erie Fishing Trip 2013

A big thank you to the North Ridgeville, Ohio VFW post for sponsoring the Lake Erie fishing trip for the 25th year! Jack Uber from the Post organizes the adventure, buys food to have supper on the boat, and provides prizes. Prizes are given for the first fish caught, the biggest fish caught, and for the most fish caught.

The Port Clinton VFW provides lunch for our group before setting sail on the high sea.

We had 21 kids and parents attend the voyage and everyone had a great time!

Thank you to everyone who makes this activity possible!

Lake Erie Fishing Trip 2013

To see more pictures of Lake Erie fun

VFW National Home for Children’s 4-H Program

The 4-H program at the VFW National Home for Children is designed to teach children responsibility, give them a sense of accomplishment, and to provide a chance to have fun.  The animal program provides an ideal environment for “learning by doing”, which is one of the mottos of 4-H.  Our 4-H club is called the “VFW Dynamos” and we raise rabbits and hogs that are shown at the Eaton County Fair in July.  To be eligible, a child must be between 9 and 19 years of age.

The animal program requires a large time commitment.  It is a three and a half month long program.  Children are encouraged to go to the farm every day to work with their animal, since the amount of time spent with their animal directly affects their success at the fair. 

 

The hog program is best for children who have shown responsibility in other committed activities. Raising a pig requires hard physical work cleaning pens and feeding and training the pigs.

Raising a rabbit is not as physically challenging as raising a pig, but it does require a large time commitment. Children showing rabbits at the fair are expected to know a great deal of information about rabbits in general, and their breed in particular.

All animals are sold at the fair by auction.

Michigan Day 2013

A big “Thank You” to the Department of Michigan for a great Michigan Day 2013!  It was great to have Department VFW National Home Director Lloyd Putnam, State Commander Ron Devereaux and State President Marilyn Malick on campus.

The weather was perfect and there were many activities including a fishing contest, digging for coins in the sand, and hayrides. Fun was had by all!

Introducing the 2013-2014 Buddy Poppy Child!

New Buddy Poppy Child Unity made her debut at the 2013 VFW National Convention in Louisville! She shared with the crowd what living at the National Home has meant to her and her family.

“My family feels safe living at the National Home and I like living there because it makes me feel like I can show free expression. Our house is magnificent and I even have my own room!”

Unity lives with her dad and sister in the Connecticut house. She is 11 years old and will enter sixth grade in the fall.

Thank you, VFW Post 3769 Pikeville, Kentucky!

A team from VFW Post #3769 Pikeville, Kentucky donated their time and skills to build a large deck in front of the Scout Cabin and removed an old fence from around the lake at the VFW National Home for Children. Pictured left to right: Jimmy Adkins, Shane Pinson, Seth Coleman, Surgeon, Robert Howard, Quarter Master, and Sr. Vice Commander and owner of Sesco Builders, Nathan Sesco.

Special thanks from VFW Post 3769 to the following organizations for helping them with travel expenses: VFW Post in Hazard, KY, VFW Post in Prestonburg, KY, District 14 in Eastern KY and Taylor Metal.

Scout cabin before deck renovations.

Scout cabin after construction of new deck.

National Home community celebrates successes at annual Community Celebration

The National Home’s Community Celebration is an annual highlight in our community. Each year, residents, trustees, staff and guests gather in the Community Center auditorium to publicly recognize the academic and personal achievements our residents have attained during the past year.

The event kicks off with our youngest honorees, the National Home’s preschool graduates. This year, eight youngsters will head off to kindergarten in the fall. And they are more than ready, thanks your support of our Ladies Auxiliary Nursery.

School-age residents are also recognized for their academic achievements. This year, several students were recognized for making the honor roll, improving their math or reading proficiency and other  achievements, both in and out of the classroom. Your support helps us offer educational services and enrichment programs like our  new science lab, our newly-updated computer lab, library, tutoring and other educational offerings, which in turn help these young scholars achieve great things in the classroom.

Finally, we recognize parents for their personal and professional achievements. Their stories can often serve as motivation for other residents working toward their goals, inspiring future success. Staff members often hear from residents in the audience how much it has meant to them to hear the stories of other families’ successes.

This year, we honored five mothers whose lives had been forever changed thanks to the opportunities they have had living at the National Home. Each one expressed her gratitude for the opportunity living at the National Home has been for them and shared her personal story of success.

“This was a really special night for me,” one attendee remarked. “The National Home is such a great community, and I’m proud to be a part of it!”

Life skills classes build confidence, community for National Home residents

While they all share the common thread of family military service, residents come to the National Home from all over the country and bring with them a wide range of experiences and needs. Like anyone moving to a new community, one of the first challenges these new families face is making friends in their new neighborhood.

Fortunately for our families, the National Home community does not lack for networking opportunities, starting with the many classes and support groups for parents. These meetings offer new families the chance to get to know each other and learn from one another’s experiences in a safe and caring environment. Class offerings are both practical and fun, ranging from financial planning, parenting and other life skills to homemade holiday treats, square-foot gardening and relaxation techniques.

Financial class participants learn about having a spending plan, protecting their 4 walls (food, clothing, shelter, and transportation), setting realistic financial goals and making them work in the real world. Residents learn the basics of credit scores and debt to income ratio. Participants describe the classes as highly informative yet down to earth and designed to assist anyone. The instructors, who come from a local credit union, have assisted many residents with budgeting and other financial questions — even after the classes are over.

Parenting classes cover a range of topics like setting appropriate limits, finding discipline techniques that work and other common parenting challenges. Parents say that they enjoy the chance to share their parenting highs and lows within the group and to learn from one another’s experiences. Single parents on campus also benefit from a single-parent support group. This provides residents with the opportunity to share their life’s experiences in a safe and supportive environment where learn they have common ground and that they are not alone with their burdens.

Beginning in 2012, residents have enjoyed taking part in the National Home’s new DIY workshop series. These workshops give residents the opportunity to learn about and feel empowered to tackle common household tasks themselves instead of relying on store-bought products or purchased services. Topics have included batch cooking, basic sewing, gardening and homemade holidays, among others. These fun, but practical, workshops have been a hit with residents, who say they can’t wait to see what new topics the instructors will come up with each month.

It’s clear residents gain much more than practical skills from the classes offered at the National Home.  They gain confidence, community connections and the beginnings of lifelong friendships, all of which will serve them well beyond their days living at the National Home.

Jr. Vice Commanders and Presidents leave National Home awed, excited and ready to get to work

A variety of speakers gave attendees an in-depth look at the National Home’s operations.

The VFW National Home for Children wowed another group of VFW and Ladies Auxiliary leaders from across the nation during its 9th Annual Jr. Vice Orientation, May 16-18. Participants included VFW Jr. Vice Commander in Chief John Stroud and Ladies Auxiliary National Jr. Vice President Ann Panteleakos, as well as Jr. Vice Commanders and Presidents from across the United States and the Department of Europe.

“Junior Vice Orientation is one of our favorite events at the National Home,” said VFW National Home for Children Executive Director Patrice Green. “It is a pleasure and a privilege to show off our beautiful campus and outstanding programs to such a fine group of VFW and Ladies Auxiliary leaders each year.”

A favorite stop for any National Home visitor is our Ladies Auxiliary Nursery.

The group toured campus facilities and homes, met staff, residents and alumni and got a behind-the-scenes look at the National Home’s operations. While many were amazed at the scope of the National Home’s services, others said the visit further reaffirmed for them what an impact their contributions were making on the lives of struggling military and veteran families.

VFW Jr. Vice Commander in Chief John Stroud tasked the Jr. Vice Commanders and Presidents in attendance to take all that they had learned and experienced back to their Departments and to encourage next year’s class of Jr. Vices to attend this important orientation.

Attendees got to share in the successes of our clients.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for every Jr. Vice Commander and President,” he said. “There are so many great things going on here [at the National Home] every day of every year. If you miss it, you’re going to regret it.”

A highlight for many attendees was the opportunity to meet and hear from National Home residents and alumni, who shared the positive impact the National Home has had on their lives.

“What a wonderful time we’ve had,” added National Jr. Vice President Ann Panteleakos. “If you haven’t been here before, you need to come.”

Spoiler Alert: There was even a Final Exam!

This year’s Junior Vice Orientation was held from May 16 – 18, and R. M. Corporation was a sponsor of the event. More photos from the event can be seen on Facebook or Flickr.

Sowing the seeds of connection

Photo by Tobyotter, Flickr

Last week, when Education Supervisor Laura Lonsbury was checking on the Ed Department’s garden, she noticed some maple trees growing in the vegetable bed. After getting a good look at their seed leaves, she transplanted them out of the garden.

As she walked back to her office, she noticed tiny maple trees “all over the lawn”, so she did what any good teacher would do — she turned it into a lesson for her students. “I rounded up some kids, and they helped me ‘rescue’ some of the seedlings before the lawn got mowed,” she says. “I think we dug up about 40 seedlings in 15 minutes (filling the holes back in, of course).”

Students with their “rescued” seedlings.

After a bit of research, Laura learned that the seedlings could go back outdoors after they got their second set of leaves. So she and her students may transplant them at that point, or they may do an experiment and see how big the seedlings can get in the greenhouse before transplanting them.

Prepping the garden beds for planting.

“It was really neat because we started a discussion about how these are tiny maple trees,” Laura said.  “One student found one that still had the seed husk attached and said, ‘HEY!  It’s one of those thingies.. a whirligig!'”