The Right Help at the Right Time
Military service organizations that do their part.
by Sara Horn
Most Reserve and National Guard spouses might not consider a local chapter of a military support organization in their community, such as American Legion or VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars), as a source of help but spokesmen for both organizations said they are there to help.
Jerry Newberry, director of communications for the VFW, said helping all military families, including those who serve in National Guard or Reserve units, is a “weekly if not daily thing for many of our local posts.”
VFW local chapters, or posts, adopt deploying units and send care packages and organize farewell and welcome home events to honor the troops. These chapters also help with other family needs.
“Everything from someone’s car breaking down, maybe their house needs painting, their lawn cut, you name it, there’s no limit to it,” Newberry said.
The VFW and the U.S. Army Reserve signed a formal agreement in 2006 to “share resources and work in harmony in expanding outreach support programs for Army Reserve soldiers and their families.” Newberry said this agreement is designed to show VFW’s commitment to assisting Reserve and Guard families. Newberry said these families are no longer treated differently than active or viewed in the “one weekend a month” category.
“We don’t make that separation anymore, except we do mention them as Reservists,” Newberry said.
As part of the agreement, each state’s VFW headquarters has a list of all Reserve units in that state to coordinate and plan special events and activities.
Lt. Gen. Jack Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, stressed the significance of the agreement when he addressed the VFW annual convention.
“This is not just a signature on a piece of paper,” Stultz said, “It is a mindset.”
That mindset extends to VFW’s national programs including the Military Assistance Program (MAP), Operation Uplink and Unmet Needs.
American Legion also helps with financial assistance and provides the Family Support Network 24-Hour Hotline that military families can call with any problem, large or small. Communications Director John Raughter said families of deployed service members are encouraged to call the network hotline and they will be matched with a local post that can assist them.
“We’ve arranged for babysitting and helped a family pay expenses until they could get back on their feet,” Raughter said. “We look at things individually and it’s based on need. With 15,000 posts across the country and some overseas, we’re usually able to connect the local posts to help.”
The American Legion also partnered with the Department of Defense through Heroes to Hometown program that provides a support network and coordinates resources for veterans and their families.
So how can you get help from these organizations and others like them if you need it? Just ask. For many of us, it’s hard to ask others for help but if the resources are out there and available, it’s a waste not to use them. Often, the biggest blessing we can give someone else is to accept a blessing from them.