Newsletter Archive
Volume 4 • Issue 1 • January 1, 2010
Volume 4, Issue 1
January 1, 2010 |
 |
|
|
Calendar 2010 |
Jan 9
|
District 1 Conference—Post 8870
will host |
Jan 15-16
|
State VFW Midwinter Conference—Wenatchee |
| Mar 1 |
Scout of the Year Scholarship Application |
Mar 6
Noon |
District 1 Conference—Alderwood Boys & Girls
Club |
May 1
Noon |
District 1 Convention—Alderwood Boys & Girls
Club |
Jun
24-25 |
State Convention—Vancouver, WA |
Delivering Gift Cards to Retsil (and Orting)
Duane Pounds and Phil Sacks are shown with Sierra Silbersdorfs, Department of Veterans Affairs for Washington State. Duane and Phil delivered $800 of gift cards from Walmart or Fred Meyers to the facility in Retsil. Fred Apgar delivered a like amount of cards to Orting. The cards were $20 each and were distributed by the staff to those most in need. Hopefully, it helped some of the guys and ladies have a bit merrier Christmas than they would normally have. We are attempting to put money into the veterans hands, not just hand a check over to the facility and have them spend it. Fred has taken the lead on this program over the last couple of years and done a great job.
Upcoming
Speakers
| Jan 8 |
VOD & PP Winners & Teacher of the Year |
|
|
American Legion Hosts Christmas Party
If you didn’t make it, you missed out on some great food. Homemade pies, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes & gravy, salads, and much, much more. Bob Sweet, his son, and grandsons are pictured above getting ready to serve the feast. As you can see in the pictures below, it was well attended and the folks had a great time. Another plus, the Seahawks were beaten by Tampa Bay and we didn’t even know it.
Above, Duane Pounds socializes while Jim Traner & Mike Reagan wish Elizabeth Mather a Merry Christmas. Below is Norm Nelson and his wife Molly with Jim Traner
 |
Post 8870 Contributes to the Chocolate Drive |
I’ve reprinted an article from the VFW national website explaining where all the chocolate we sent overseas ended up. Thanks primarily to Phil Sacks and the volunteer efforts of others in the Post, we ended up sending 28 boxes of chocolates overseas to the troops. Figuring each box weighed approximately 10 lbs, I figured our little Post contributed approximately 280 lbs. of the total chocolate shipped overseas. We received an email from Kimberlee Keller who organized the drive. Kimberlee is a SMSgt in the USAF at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. She said our boxes arrived on December 9th and that she will send out a summary of what each Post contributed at that time. I’ll pass it along at the next meeting. |
VFW spreads ‘Tons’ of Holiday Cheer in Chocolate |
KANSAS CITY, Mo., December 22, 2009 – Thanks to the efforts of the VFW, approximately 21,000 lbs. of chocolate has been gathered and shipped to deployed U.S. troops stationed at forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan.
VFW Departments and Posts from 38 states participated in the chocolate drive with Virginia leading the effort with nearly 8,000 lbs. Pennsylvania, Montana, Texas, and Illinois shipped a combined 6,665 lbs.
The effort began October 18, when VFW was contacted by Kimberlee Keller, president of Bagram Top 3, a private enlisted organization that provides mentoring to junior enlistees and sponsors morale boosting events for troops throughout the year.
Keller simply wanted some chocolate and there was none to be found at the Base Exchange. She requested VFW’s assistance in Bagram Top 3’s effort to gather chocolate ranging from candy bars to M&M’s, all of which would be assembled in holiday gift bags to be distributed to forward operating bases throughout Afghanistan. “I can't be the only one that misses chocolate,” her request read.
VFW quickly spread word to its Departments and within a few days the sweet support began pouring in. “VFW members understand how difficult it is to be away from home, especially during the holidays. This is just a small token of our appreciation for everything our service members have sacrificed to keep us free,” said Mike Penney, director of VFW National Military Services.
According to Keller, it took 329 volunteers and 1,180 hours to complete the project this past weekend, resulting in 22 thousand chocolate filled gift bags and stockings. “We couldn't have done it without the VFW...you were our lead and got the word out for us...you really came through for us here. We felt every bit of love, support and prayers from afar. Please pass on the Top 3’s sincere gratitude and thanks to all.” |
Last Shot |
 I thought I would add this photo since Duane was thrilled sending it to me. All I can say is it looks like Duane and Phil are walking away from the doors instead of through them. However, in the interest of keeping Duane happy, I’ll put it in the newsletter anyway. So if any of you guys are out and about and have a photo you would like to share (veteran related—not the family vacation), let me know and I’ll get it the newsletter. |
|
|
|
J & J PHARMACY
STEPHEN C. JOHNSON, R. Rh
Phone 425-670-8912
LOCATED AT
EDMONDS PROFESSIONAL CENTER
7315 - 212TH S.W., EDMONDS, WA 98026
|
|
TRANER SMITH & COMPANY P.S.
James M. Traner CPA, Partner
110 James Street, Suite 106
Edmonds, WA 98020-8430
Telephone 425-640-8650
Fax 425-640-8655
JTraner@tranersmith.com
Certified Public Accountants
|
|
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL
Robert J. Smith, CFP®, ChFC®
Senior Financial Advisor • Business Financial Advisor
RJ Smith & Associates
A private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services,
Inc.
110 James St., Suite 105
Edmonds, WA 98020
Tel: 425-640-8650
Toll Free 1-800-444-9115
robert.j.smith@ampf.com
www.rjsmithandassociates.com
CA Insurance #0835016
|
|
 |
|
Need
A Lift?
If you need a lift to the meeting, just give Liz Mather, the quartermaster, a call or drop her an email at quartermaster@VFW8870.org. On the other hand, if you are interested in providing transportation to a fellow member, let Liz know and she can match riders with drivers.
The
Last Word |
As we begin a new year, I was reminiscing about the Post’s accomplishments last year. I won’t give you a litany of everything we did, but its suffice to say that we did a heck of a lot in the community, both civilian and veteran. I suspect, if you are like me, one of the first questions that is asked by a prospective member, is “What do you do?”. What we do are a multitude of small but important tasks so its hard to relay it in a meaningful sense. We help the homeless veterans, Scouts trying to obtain their Eagle, speak at schools to educate another generation the role veterans played in protecting America, give vets that are in need of a small boost a bus pass or assistance for the rent, send chocolate to Afghanistan, assist Mike Reagan’s Fallen Heroes Project, and make life better for some families by contributing to the National Home for Children. I guess that list could qualify as a litany, but that is the short list since we do much more. But accomplishing even the short list isn’t easy as we spend long hours raising donations in the Buddy Poppy program or at Smokey Point handing out coffee and cookies in exchange for donations. So why do we do it? We do it because if we didn’t, no one else would. To answer the question “What do you do?”, we simply have to state “we are veterans who are still serving and there is a heck of a need for us out there. Just sign the membership application and we will give you the details later."
|
|
|
