Our Department President’s theme “Protecting Veteran’s Entitlements with Service – Honor – Respect” speaks to the hospital program.  Our hospitalized veterans deserve the best possible hospital services that can be provided!!

The goal of the Hospital and VAVs program is to meet the needs of hospitalized patients in VA medical centers and other hospitals in the US.  With the challenge of an influx of veterans needing all kinds of medical services, including rehabilitative services, there is even a greater need for volunteers.  Due to this it is important to check in with your local VAVs representative and find out how your Auxiliary can best help the hospitalized veteran.

In 1928 Volunteer hospital program work became the second national program adopted by the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  There are many issues facing the veteran’s hospitals: many wounded veterans are returning home from active duty, the aging of the veterans’ population and diminishing or competing governmental funding.  This is why the hospital volunteers are so vital to the program.

Let us not forget the National Wheelchair Games On July 4th to the 9^th hosted by the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System and the Paralyzed Veterans of America Mountain States chapter.  The admission is free.  For additional information visit the Games website at www.wheelchairgames.va.gov.  Your donations are always welcome!

The VA hospitals and the community hospitals need volunteers.  It is important for the Auxiliaries to recruit volunteers for both hospitals and it is important for the Auxiliaries to track the volunteer hours and donations that they make to the hospitals.  Please submit your members’ names and number hours volunteered to me on a regular basis.

Ladies our National President’s theme “United by Love for Our Veterans and Country” also exemplifies our duty to our hospitalized veterans.  We volunteer for love and not money!!!

Loyally,

Rebecca Pellechi, Hospital Chairman