Help families at the VFW National Home for Children celebrate 100 years

On Jan. 7, 1925, the VFW National Home for Children, located in Michigan, was founded, helping to fulfill the VFW pledge to “honor the dead by helping the living.” Later that spring, the Home welcomed its first family in an old frame farmhouse, Mrs. Pollett and her six children. Pollett had become suddenly widowed and lost her husband’s military pension.

Since its founding, the VFW National Home has grown from the old frame farmhouse to a sprawling campus with playgrounds; park areas; and multiple buildings, including single-family homes, a community center and gymnasium, child care facility, guest lodge, chapel, and administrative offices. Through it all, one thing has remained constant: the National Home’s commitment to honor our nation’s veterans and active-duty military by providing help and hope for their children and families.

You are invited to help families at the National Home celebrate the 100th Anniversary by sending Birthday Cards to the center. Your local VFW Auxiliary can tell you how!

Please collect handmade or purchased birthday cards and deliver them to the local VFW Auxiliary representative, Linda Bartkoski – 417-698-5125 by the deadline of November 22, 2024, or to another member of the auxiliary or post. The auxiliary will mail them to the center in plenty of time for the celebration! The group, (or individual), providing the most cards will receive a “Thank you” certificate from the auxiliary and all participants will have the knowledge that you helped to make this celebration even brighter! Youth groups, 4-H, FFA, Scouts, family groups, home school, after school, everyone is invited to participate! Collect all your cards and put them in a large envelope or gallon zip lock bag with a note containing a contact person’s name and phone and how many children and then how many adults participated. Several states will be participating!  We want Missouri to send the most cards but we need your help to get it done.