President's Welcome
Loyalty, Strength and Love"
My name is Diane Small. I am a life member of our wonderful organization with my eligibility as a member being gained from my father,
Ivon D. Mayo, a Korean and Vietnam War Veteran. It is a privilege and honor to serve as the Department (state) of Washington President of the
Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for the year 2010-2011.
My special project this year is our Project Protect Program which provides
3-Day emergency preparedness kits, carrying a 5 year shelf life, free to our junior enlisted armed forces and their immediate family members.
The Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW has a long-standing tradition of support to our communities, Veterans, active duty Armed Forces and their families.
Our work encompasses many focuses, from youth scholarships, patriotic awareness, support of the troops and their families to community service and
safety projects including disaster preparedness, which many people outside of our organization are totally unaware. One of our goals this year
is to make all we encounter aware of the good works that we accomplish throughout the year and to impart to them how wonderful and necessary our
organization is.
In addition to the social aspect that comes with every fraternal-type of organization, the Ladies Auxiliary:
- Contributes many thousands of hours to volunteerism (in our hospitals, rehabilitation centers, USOs, etc.)
- Provides patriotic programs for use by schools, boy and girl scouts, etc.
- Provides avenues toward scholarships for members, teens, tweens, and grade school age children
- Contributes many thousands of dollars toward charitable programs, such as cancer aid and research, VA Hospitals, families of fallen soldiers, etc.
- Works closely with local emergency personnel to educate and prepare neighbors and families of young soldiers and sailors for all types of disaster preparedness through Projects Protect and Prepare
- Provides assistance to young soldiers and sailors and their families through the National Military Assistance Program (MAP) - unmet needs, Operation Uplink (provides an avenue for our deployed armed forces to call their families at no cost to them)
This brief overview is only skimming the surface of what we actually accomplish. If you are interested in assisting our Veterans, active duty
Armed Forces and their families while simultaneously strengthening your community, your membership in our organization will help to further this
important work. To join us in our mission please contact us through this web site or anyone at your local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post.
Loyally,
Diane Small
LA-VFW Department President
