June 2025 

 

 

 

 

Buddy Poppy & National Home Achievements 2025-2026	Completed	Reported
Hold a "Buddy"® Poppy Drive in the community. Indicate the number of poppies used, held with/without Post members.
Promote the "Buddy"® Poppy through education in the community. Indicate type of media used (TV, newspaper, Facebook/Social Media, fliers, etc.)
Report the number of "Buddy"® Poppies distributed during the program year.
Promote the VFW National Home and/or National Helpline. Indicate the type of media used.
Purchase one or more National Home Life Membership(s) for an Auxiliary member & promote Associate Memberships to non- members. Report # paid by Aux. and # that members purchased.
Promote VFW National Home through education within the Auxiliary and the community.
National Health & Happiness donations of $.10 to $.25 per member as of June 30, 2025.

 

 

The VFW Auxiliary works to honor and a make a difference in the lives of veterans, service members and their families. Two ways we do this are through the VFW "Buddy”® Poppy Program and the VFW National Home for Children.

The "Buddy”® Poppy & VFW National Home for Children Program:

• Promotes and Supports the VFW "Buddy”® Poppy Program
  The VFW conducted its first poppy distribution before Memorial Day in 1922, becoming the first veterans’ organization to organize a nationwide distribution. The next year, the VFW decided that VFW "Buddy”® Poppies would be assembled by disabled and needy veterans who would be paid for their work. VFW "Buddy”® Poppies are still assembled by disabled and needy veterans in VA Hospitals, providing compensation to the veterans who assemble the poppies. The poppy program also provides financial assistance in maintaining state and national veterans’ rehabilitation and service programs and partially supports the VFW National Home for Children.
• Promotes and Supports the VFW National Home for Children
  For more than 90 years, the National Home has helped military‬ and ‪veteran‬ families who need a fresh start. Families can live there rent-free for up to four years and have access to professional case management services, on-site licensed child care, life skills training, tutoring and other educational services as well as recreational and community service opportunities. Families find healing in a safe and peaceful environment of tree-lined streets, 42 single-family homes, facilities such as a gym, library, computer and science labs, day care center, playgrounds, fishing pond, hiking trails and more!
• Promotes the National Home Helpline
  The National Home Helpline is the first step on the path to help for ‪‎military‬ and ‪veteran‬ families. This free service helps callers with pressing needs nationwide seek solutions in their own communities. The Helpline is answered by caring professionals M-F 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Eastern, except holidays. Messages left after hours and on weekends are answered the next business day. Contact the Helpline at 800.313.4200 or help@vfwnationalhome.org.