FUND RAISING
To raise funds for the many projects we support, we work most weekends selling raffle tickets and accepting donations at locations throughout our community
Visiting Vets at Local Nursing Homes
Villas at Centerfield
Bingo Lanier Village
Villas at Centerfield
In 2023 Tom Kirby had an idea to visit our veterans in one of our local nursing homes and got approval for our chapter to buy military ball caps to pass out to the veterans. Each vet was present a hot representing their branch of serviced. It was a big success and so Tom, with other Chapter volunteers, expanded the ball cap program to including other veterans in our local nursing homes. Tom then he came up with the idea of playing Bingo at the nursing homes for the vets, many of whom have no family or have become forgotten. Our volunteers now go to a different nursing home each month to play Bingo. Thanks to Tom’s idea, “No Veteran being left behind” has become a reality for our veterans in local nursing homes.
Treating local Nursing Home Vets to Breakfast or Lunch with our Membership
In addition to visiting veterans at local nursing home, we’ve expanded our connection with nursing home veterans and will on occasion arrange to have them meet us a local restaurant for breakfast or lunch.
Friday Morning Breakfast
We get together for breakfast on Friday morning at The Station House Restaurant to share friendship. Come join us any Friday morning between 7 and 8:30 am
Holiday Breakfast with Spouses and Friends
Each year before Christmas we invite our spouses and other friends to attend our Friday breakfast and we take up a special collection for the servers that take care of us each week.
Here's a video taken of the breakfast:
Donation made to Currahee Military Museum
During one of appearances at Lakewood 400 Antique one of the vendors donated to us a miniature statue of the Vietnam Wall. It was the first statue of 149 statues produced. We felt the appropriate location for the statute was to donated to the Currahee Military Museum in Toccoa, Georgia
Working with The Place of Forsyth for the 4th of July Holiday
For the 4th of July holiday, we volunteered with The Place of Forsyth to cook hot dogs to be given out to shut in and those less fortunate. We purchased the grill in anticipation of doing more in the future. The Place provided the trimmings for a holiday meal.
4th of July Parade
Again this year, Sherrif Freeman let us use the personal carrier and one of his deputy volunteers to drive us in the parade.
Lunch with Spouses and Friends
Sep 2023
Sep 2023
Last year we started getting together with our spouses and friends for lunch. It has been so succesful we decided to start getting together every other month at the Golden Corral in Cumming.
Serving with the USO
Aug 2022
Every 3 months, we volunteer to help serve with the USO to greet and meet our veterans traveling through Hartsfield Jackson Airport in Atlanta. The USO offers a spot where our veterans can take and brake and grab a hot dog and something to drink. We provide the food and drink as well as volunteering our time to support our troops.
2023 Trip to Toccoa
We made our second trip to Toccoa to visit the Currahee Military Museum where our Paratroopers trained during World War II. The trip was paid for by those that attended. Our Chapter look forward to future events with the membership.
Delivering Checks and Gift Card
We delivery checks to the organizations we support also donate gift cards for children to be distrubted through The Place as welll as Jesse's Place, Baldridge Lodge and Family Haven.
Delivering Easter Dinners 2023
For Easter each year, we team up with ALTRUSA to create a food basket for those unable to get out for Easter. Our Chapter donate the turkeys or hams and the local ALTRUSA chapters put together a food basket to complete an Easter meal. The VVA volunteers then go with a member of The Place to make the personal delivers to the families. It's another way for all of us to give back to the community where we live.
Memorial Day Remembrance 2023
Each Memorial Day we attended Memorial Day Rememberance and dedicate a flag to any of our departing members. In addition, we also remember the spouses by deliverying flowers to their homes.
Thanksgiving Turkey Give-Away 2023
One of our annual events is to donate the funds for The Place of Forsyth to purchase turkey to be given away to needy individuals for Thanksgiving. Through other donations, The Place purchases what is needed for a complete meal. We volunteer to pass out the meals to individuals that otherwise would not have a thanksgiving meal.
Meeting with our Korean Vets
Every year we meet with our associate members who served in the Korean Military that also served in Vietnam.
Annual Award Banquet 2023
At the end of each year, we hold an Award Banquet to recognize the directors and officers and other special people who have made our Chapter successful. The event is paid for mostly from funds returned to us from our National Organization based on the numbers of members in our chapter.
Delivering Meals for Nurses
During the latest COVID outbreak, we worked with Rooster's Restaurant to prepare meals for the nurses. Rooster's also discounted the cost of the meals. We also received a free giant cookie for Great American Cookie. Both businesses are located in Cumming.
Delivering Christmas Bike to The Place
Another one of our annual events is to purchase and donate bikes to The Place to be handed out to children who without our help would not have a bike for Chritmsas. This year we purchased 71 bikes with helments. In addition to the bikes, we hand out gift cards to the older children. Not only do we not want any veteran left behind, the same applies to children.
Past Events
Delivering Back Packs and Laying Wreaths at Veterans Cemetery
To wrap up 2022, we participated in 3 events. For past few years, member Joe Labranche heads a program call About-Face and one of their projects is to hand out backpacks with supplies to our homeless vets. Our membership donates to this cause and help Joe with handing out the backpacks. We support our Veterans at the VA Nursing home and this year we bought each resident a Christmas gift. Finally, Steve Masak and other members met at the Georgia National Cemetery to lay wreaths on veterans’ markers. We strongly believe “No Veterans should ever be left behind.” We are grateful to have helped so many people and meet our goals for 2022.
Thanksgiving 2022
One of our annual projects is to donate enough money to cover the cost for The Place of Forsyth County to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving. This year we paid for 240 turkeys. Our members worked with our spouses for 3 days at The Place of Forsyth handing out the turkeys with a food box that our spouses put together to donate to those in need.
Holiday Social and Award Banquet 2022
Our National VVA rebates funds back to each Chapter based on the number of members in the Chapter. The Chapter is free to use the funds as need. Our Chapter elects to use these funds for an Annual Holiday buffet dinner and recognize and honor those members who have made our chapter a success. A few members were unable to attend but were given their award at annual Spouses breakfast. Each year we recognize one member as "Member of the Year" and this year the honor went to David Burns, Chapter Secretary
Delivering Bikes for Christmas 2022
Delivering Checks 2022
Donating Gift Cards 2022
Each year our chapter takes up a collection to buy gift cards that are given to children for Christmas. Our members donated enough money to purchase 229 $25 gift cards.
4th of July Parade 2022
Sheriff Freeman let's us use the personnel carrier and on is deputy's volunteers to drive the carrier in the 4th of July parade each year in Cumming.
Northeast Georgia Veteran Homeless Shelter
In November of 2019, the van used by the NE Georgia Veterans Center broke down beyond repairs. We were able to locate and purchase a replacement van so homeless veterans were able to be transported to work and Dr. appointments.
Replacement Van
Trip to Toccoa 2022
Last fall we made a trip Toccoa to visit the Currahee Military Museum where our Paratroopers trained during World War II. It a large museum with several artifacts showing the local history.