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.
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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.
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
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