Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Program

LaVonne Matthews – Chairman
var@ndala.org

*Please call the VA directly for sending donations at this time. Center for Development and Civic Engagement- 701-239-3700 Extension – 3395.  Things continue to change with storage space available for donations.*

*Please note that due to hospital infection control policies, the VA is not permitted to accept any USED items, including blankets, clothing, toiletries, or otherwise, even if they have been laundered or cleaned prior to donation.  Thank you for your continued donation of NEW items for our patients*

The VA Voluntary Services Department is now the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE).  The phone number has remained the same.  Visit the CDCE website for the most current needs information.  Interested in volunteering?  Visit the VA Medical Center volunteer portal.

***

Thank you to all units and members for your donations to the Department earmarked for Gift Shops at the North Dakota Veterans Home in Lisbon and the VA Medical Center in Fargo.

Residents of Lisbon were treated to a catered dinner on Friday, December 22, 2023, and each received a blanket for Christmas. Patients at the VAMC were given the opportunity to choose a gift for themselves and a family member. After three years of COVID shutdowns, it was a pleasure to be able to sponsor an in-person gift shop again!

MaKayla Allmaras (left) and LaVonne Matthews, Department VA&R Chairman, shown with tie-blankets designed, assembled, and donated by the Philanthropy and Youth group from Northern Cass High School.

The Philanthropy and Youth (PaY) group from Northern Cass High School donated tie-blankets to the VAMC Gift Shop. We also received a wonderful donation of vintage wrapping paper for the project from Jim, a veteran who attended an early morning appointment at the VA that day. Jim heard about the ‘gift shop’ and donated several rolls of embossed red and green paper. A great team of ladies assisted veterans in choosing a gift, wrapping them, and preparing them for mailing. Santa is proud of his VAMC elves.

A Creative Arts competition is planned and will be held at the VAMC in Fargo on September 10, 2024. Any veteran enrolled in the Fargo VA system is eligible and encouraged to participate. More information can be found on the VA’s website at www.va.gov/fargo-health-care/. Look under the programs link for the Creative Arts competition. The last competition was held at the Fargo VAMC in 2018, so this is exciting news that it is happening once again.

The 2024 National Creative Arts Festival is being held in Denver, Colorado, in May. The date for the 2025 festival has not yet been announced. Winners from the 2024 competitions will participate in the 2025 festival.

Please be sure to report your Year-End volunteer hours and funds spent in support of our Auxiliary mission to your unit president. In turn, we can report your good deeds to our Northwestern Division and National Headquarters.

Thank you.

LaVonne Matthews
VA&R Chairman

VAMC Gift Shop Elves (l-r): Jeanine Allmaras; LaVonne Matthews, Department VA&R Chairman; Marge Gourde; Geri Langseth; Virginia Borgen; Faye Majerus, Department VAVS Volunteer Rep for VAMC Fargo; Gloria Covert, Department President; Virginia Kraushaar, Adjutant Gilbert C. Grafton Post 2 Fargo.

Wrapping paper donation – Jim (center) with Department President Gloria Covert (l) and VA & R Chairman LaVonne Matthews (r).

How to make a monetary donation to the VA Medical Center

Download the Donation form and follow the directions.

VAMC Donation Intent Form

Send your donation and completed form to:

Fargo VA Health Care System
Attn: Center for Development and Civic Engagement
2101 Elm Street North
Fargo ND 58102-2498

Make checks payable to “Fargo VA HCS”

To learn more about how you can enhance the services provided to hospitalized Veterans, please contact Center for Development and Civic Engagement  at 701-239-3700 ext. 3395 or visit their website at CDCE.

• Creative Arts Competition 2024
• Heart Pillow Sewing Instructions
• Pattern (Heart Pillow) VAMC
• Pattern (Neck Pillow) VAMC
• MOVE-IN BASKETS – Looking for a VA & R project?  This would be a great idea!  Homeless veterans moving into transitional housing need help stocking their new homes.  The link contains directions and a list of items needed for move-in.  Check with the VA directly for current needs.
• CHILDRENS BUSY BAGS   – Here is another idea.  These activity bags are distributed to children at some of the busier clinics.  You can help brighten the day of a child that may be visiting a health care facility with their parents or others.
• Wheelchair and walker bag pattern 2021 – fabric bags to attach to wheel chairs or walkers to carry personal items.
• Operation Comfort Doll program
• Fill a Purse for Homeless Women Veterans or Women in Emergency Shelters
• Brochure-WishesOnWings (10-1-19)
• Annies House Brochure
• Tips for Troop Care Packages
• Emergency Food Bags(Fargo Delivery Area)
• March 2024 Message Article
• VAR October 2022 Continuing Needs

Other Resources

• VA Medical Center Fargo-Facebook page
• National VA&R Program
• National Creative Arts Festival
• VAR_Guide Revised 2022

On September 18, 2023, the VAMC Center for Development and Civic Engagement honored area volunteers at a banquet held at the Moorhead American Legion.
Pictured (l-r): MN Auxiliary Department President Sharon Cross, ND Auxiliary Department President Gloria Covert, Unit 2 President and VAVS Rep. Carol Wolf, and Department VA&R Chairman LaVonne Matthews.

I am honored to be your representative from the Department of North Dakota on the Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) Committee of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Fargo. Recently, I attended our quarterly meeting and will highlight some of the programs and developments that are being planned and/or considered for roll out in the near future.

• Veteran Transportation Service
• Beneficiary Travel
• Parking Ramp Update
• Mental Health Outpatient Clinic
• Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC):
• Fisher House Updates
• The Veterans Creative Arts Competition
• VAVS Patient Casino Night

See the full details in the linked document – VAVS Quarterly Report March 2024

Carol Wolf
Department VAVS Committee Representative

Fargo VAVS volunteer: Faye Majerus

Faye Majerus – VAVS Volunteer
vavsvolunteer@ndala.org

Rose Butz retired from VAVS in September 2022.  We thank her for her many years of service to the VA Health Care System.  New volunteer Faye Majerus volunteers at the VA Medical Center in Fargo where she takes the care cart to patient rooms.  If you would like information about this project, email her at vavsvolunteer@ndala.org

National VAVS Program

Items currently needed for the care cart (August 2023)  Please call Center for Development and Civic Engagement directly to see what items they are taking at this time (701-239-3700 Ext. 3395).  Please call to set up a drop-off time. 

• Sewn items – 60″ x 80″ blankets or comforters (no lap robes, please), walker bags, wheelchair bags
• Children’s activity bags
• Comfort items – deodorant (men and women), chapstick, shaving cream, full-size shampoo, conditioner, body/hand cream
• Gift cards for veterans in need – $20/$50 clothing store cards, $20/$50 gas station cards, $20/$50 grocery store cards
• Clothing items for emergent needs and homeless/at-risk veterans – winter coats (L, XL, or 2XL), winter hats or caps (no knit or crocheted), insulated gloves (L or XL), sweatpants (S-3XL), t-shirts (S-3XL), men’s underwear (S-2XL)
• Emergency food bags for at-risk and homeless veterans

VAMC Donation List August 2023

VAMC Suggested Donations August 2023

Toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, floss/flossers, denture cleaner and denture adhesive are all provided by the facility to inpatients.  Donations of this nature will be accepted and provided to outpatient dental patients.

Bar soap, pens, cards and notebooks, travel-size shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and bodywash are not needed at this time.

*Per VAMC facility policy, we cannot accept any used clothing*

VAMC Representatives (Fargo) :  Carol Wolf (Rep) and Marge Gourde (Deputy Rep)

VAVS Representative (Fargo) :  Faye Majerus (Rep)

Veterans Home Representative (Lisbon) :  Virginia Stendahl

Gift Shop Fargo : LaVonne Matthews

Gift Shop Lisbon : Carol Jentz

VA & R Archives

 DISTRICT 9

District Meetings

Hello District 9 Auxiliary Members.

Ronda Rudnik – District 9 President
district9@ndala.org

So much has happened since our Spring District meeting in April. We had three District 9 units represented at the Department Convention in June, where we received the exciting news that District 9 membership reached over 100% in 2023! Great work everyone! Continue to recruit and ask the people you have been meaning to ask but have not yet. Let us strive for 100% again for 2024; we can do it! This was my first time attending the Department Convention and I really believe everyone would benefit from attending. It is a perfect time to learn more about our organization from experienced leaders, get to know other Legion and Auxiliary members who become great friends from around the state, and immerse ourselves in the camaraderie of the American Legion Family.

We have a wealth of information at our fingertips by searching both our National and Department websites. The National American Legion Auxiliary website can be found at www.ALAforVeterans.org. If you have not yet, I suggest setting up your member log in. In the member portal we can find membership forms and applications, the unit guidebook, recruitment tools, convention downloads, and trainings. The ALA Academy is an online training that you can do at your own pace. After completion of each course, you can even print a certificate of your achievement. The American Legion Department of North Dakota website is www.ndala.org. On the Department website you will find various forms, District resources, Auxiliary programs, and member resources including current and past issues of ‘The Message’. Both websites have excellent references; bookmark them in your browser so you can quickly find them.

I invite all of you to attend the District 9 Fall Meeting and I look forward to meeting and visiting with many of you. Thank you to all members of Carl Rogan Post and Unit 29 of Watford City for hosting our fall meeting.

May God bless you and our American Legion family.

Ronda Rudnik
District 9 President

• September 2023 Message Article

Joyce Waldock – District 9 Vice President

District 9 Archives

District 9 Units

• Crosby Unit 75
• Grenora Unit 116
• Little Shell Unit 300
• Mandaree Unit 271
• New Town Unit 290
• Noonan Unit 243
• Parshall Unit 121
• Powers Lake Unit 96
• Tioga Unit 139
• Watford City Unit 29
• Wildrose Unit 110
• Williston Unit 37

District 1

District Meetings

Virginia Satrom-District 1 President district1@ndala.org

Happy New Year to our American Legion Family members across the state of North Dakota. It is impossible to imagine that we are already into our second month of 2024. This is a crucial reminder that we have some work ahead to make it the best year ever.

When things feel insurmountable, take a deep breath and think for a moment, “If you can’t fly, then run; If you can’t run, then walk; If you can’t walk, then crawl; but whatever you have to do keep moving forward.” A quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. Try to relate this to your work within your unit. Remember if you are working on something that you really care about, you do not have to push or be pushed.

My hope is that District 1 members will think back on why they became an Auxiliary member in the very beginning. Let us hope that vision never fades. Part of our mission is to provide to our youth both educational and leadership opportunities. These opportunities uphold the ideals of freedom and democracy and encourage good citizenship and patriotism for our country. Also, our mission is to support the lives of our veterans, the military, and their families both at home and abroad.

Which brings me back to work. We need to step up participation in District 1. Attendance at our District Meetings has been dismal and this shows a lack of interest, desire, and effort on the part of Auxiliary members. Never give up. Unit 210 of Galesburg struggled for several years to the point where I did not know if we would survive as a unit. Fortunately, we were blessed with several new members who have proven to be energetic, ambitious, and filled with ideas as well as the willingness to implement these ideas.

District 1 Vice President – Berniece Froiland

I am so proud of these members as they chose to donate $500 to each of the 3 local food pantries, another $500 to the ND/MN Veterans Honor Flight program, $500 to the gift shop programs for veterans at VA Medical Center in Fargo and residents at the North Dakota Veterans Home at Lisbon. This truly has been rewarding for us as a unit because we were never able to do this in the past.

I extend an invitation to anyone to visit one of our meetings to witness the enthusiasm. We meet the second Tuesday of each month April through December at 7:00 PM in the Galesburg Memorial Hall. You can find us stuffing pillows for veterans, planning our next fundraiser, working a Poppy Day project, or volunteering at a Memorial Day Program.

Wayne and I just returned to Arizona after attending the 2024 Winter Conference in Bismarck. We were a bit surprised that the weather seemed almost spring-like. Mark your calendars as a reminder to attend the 2024 District 1 Spring Meeting at the West Fargo VFW. More details and information can be found in another section of this publication.

Virginia Satrom
District 1 President

• Message Article March 2024

District 1 Archives

District 1 Units

• Buffalo Unit 10
• Casselton Unit 15
• Cooperstown Unit 143
• Erie Unit 223
• Fargo Unit 2
• Fingal Unit 187
• Finley Unit 13
• Galesburg Unit 210
• Hannaford Unit 113
• Harwood Unit 297
• Hatton Unit 70
• Hillsboro Unit 4
• Hope Unit 18
• Hunter Unit 44
• Sanborn Unit 202
• Valley City Unit 60

Leadership Program

Heidi Wakefield – Chairman
leadership@ndala.org

Unit Member of the Year Application – Due May 1

The ‘Unit Member of the Year’ award recognizes members of our units who exemplify the value and ideals of the American Legion Auxiliary. Those members work hard to support their units, improve the unit’s programs, and have a positive impact on our communities.

Look for that special member in your unit that exemplifies those ideals and has not held an office higher than Unit President. Then, nominate them for the ‘Unit Member of the Year’ award.

Wouldn’t it be great if we received a nomination from every District in our state?  ‘Unit Member of the Year’ nominations are due to me no later than May 1, 2024.

Have you heard about the ALA Academy? This is an incredible educational opportunity for you to learn about the Auxiliary and what we do. There are 8 main courses and many other live courses available to help mentor our newest members. I personally have completed 4 of them and I was amazed at the history of our program and the amazing individuals that made it all happen. This is a great opportunity for our Junior members to learn about the Auxiliary as well. They are the future of our program. There are even some E-courses designed specifically with our juniors in mind. You can enroll in any of the self-paced courses. I encourage everyone to try them. You will not be disappointed!

Lastly, how can you get our Junior members involved in your units? In a recent Zoom leadership meeting, we discussed the importance of mentoring our Junior members and involving them in our monthly meetings, fundraising events, preparing meals, and assisting in planning events and activities. Your juniors will amaze you with their use of technology and social media. Ask them to help with public relations and advertising your events. Juniors are our future, get them involved now. Get a few juniors excited to join our organization and they will reach out to others to help grow our membership.

Visit www.ALAforVeterans.org to learn what others are doing to involve their juniors and to familiarize yourself about programs designed for them.

Heidi Wakefield
Leadership Chairman

• March 2024 Message Article
• Celebrating Women of Service_Flyer_2024

The Unit Member of the Year award recognizes those serving at the unit level who exemplify the values and ideals of the Auxiliary and whose accomplishments significantly impact the program work in their units.

Criteria & Selection Process

• Nominees must be a senior American Legion Auxiliary unit member (over 18) who are not currently, nor have ever been, in an elected or appointed leadership role higher than unit president.
• A narrative of 1,000 words or less describing the nominee’s accomplishments and activities must be submitted by a unit to its Department’s Leadership Chairman.
• Each Department selects one Unit Member of the Year from its submitted candidates.
• The selection of the winner is at the discretion of the Department Leadership chairman.
• Recognition of the winners occurs at the American Legion Auxiliary’s national convention.

2024 Unit Member of the Year Application

Ruth with husband and Past Department Commander Carroll Quam

Ruth Quam Receives Unit Member of the Year Award

The American Legion Auxiliary Department of North Dakota is proud to announce that Ruth Quam of Wahpeton, ND, was selected as the winner of the 2023 Unit Member of the Year Award.

Ruth was nominated for this distinguished honor by Hafner-Miller-Ross Unit 20 of Wahpeton. Ruth is a life member of the American Legion Auxiliary and has served proudly for 53 years. In District 10, the Quam name is synonymous with the American Legion Family. Ruth accompanied her husband Carroll on his many travels around North Dakota and the country while he served as the American Legion Department Commander.

Ruth has served in various unit offices and currently serves as the unit’s vice president. Throughout the years, she has provided countless gallons of lemonade and dozens of cookies for the North Dakota Boys State counselor’s picnic. She has served or donated food and volunteered for unit fundraisers, community veterans programs, and dinners. Her other efforts include distributing poppies in the community, donating countless funds and personal hygiene items to the Lisbon Veterans Home and Fargo VA Medical Center, and working the ‘Give 10 for Education’ program for school students.

In addition to her involvement with the American Legion Auxiliary, Ruth is active with St John’s Catholic Church, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and Quilts of Valor. She was actively involved and served on various committees with the North Dakota National Guard Enlisted Association Auxiliary. In recent months, Ruth has provided care and support to her husband, Carroll, as he continues to recover from recent surgery.

Ruth embodies the American Legion Family’s mission of being an active member within a community of volunteers serving our veterans, active military, and their families.

Congratulations, Ruth, on a job well done!

September 2023 Message Article

• ALA Academy
• Unit Guide Book
• National Leadership Program information

Leadership Archives

DISTRICT 4

Jane Schoonover – District 4 President
district4@ndala.org

District Meetings

Greetings to all District 4 ALA Members.

Our District meeting was held on September 21st at the All-Vets Club in Jamestown. At the joint opening, we enjoyed a medley of American songs preformed by Tim Metz, District 4 Commander Jon’s brother. Tim received a standing ovation. We thanked Carol, the banquet manager, for her years of service. Carol had already retired but came back just to do the District 4 dinner.

Our guest speakers were Department President Gloria Covert, Department President-Elect and Membership Chair LoAnn Dick, and Past NW Division National Vice President Marlene Boyer.

President Covert reminded us that we need to make sure we have a quorum before we start our meetings. She suggested maintaining communication with our members by using Zoom meetings, letters, texting, and emails.

Some other topics that came up included: reviewing and updating our Unit Constitution and Bylaws, sending pictures to our Department Historian of our events, including Junior members in events and meetings, campaigning for Suicide Prevention, and utilizing Land’s End Business for ALA logo clothing.

Membership Chairman LoAnn stated that membership is our lifeline. LoAnn opened with “Remembering why we became a member of the ALA.” Numbers count. Even though we may have only a few members that go to meetings or physically work, the greater number of members speak to our Legislators when making decisions for our veterans. Year-end Reports are important in showing how much time and money is donated in support of our veterans.

Marlene Boyer, Past NW Division National Vice President, spoke on her travels during her time in office. Marlene discussed a new project with military children which is called Dandelion Children. They have a very important role in our veterans lives.

I want to thank Unit President Betty Geigle and other Unit 14 Auxiliary members of Jamestown for hosting the District meeting. Thanks to Shirley Knapp for repairing the flagpole. There is no need to purchase a new flagpole due to her efforts.

Jane Schoonover
District 4 President

• Message Article December 2023
• Message Article June 2023

Gail Marsolek – District 4 Vice President

District 4 Archives

District 4 Units

Carrington Unit 25
Gackle Unit 250
Goodrich Unit 56
Jamestown Unit 14
McClusky Unit 124
McHenry Unit 160
Medina Unit 245
New Rockford Unit 30
Streeter Unit 265
Wimbledon Unit 236