Devotion to Veterans Comes in Many Forms
American Veterans (AMVETS) is a Veteran Service Organization (VSO) that often works with VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) on events, and which focuses on helping Veterans.
Last year, the Hawaii chapter of AMVETS gained a Ladies’ Auxiliary Unit. President Doris Edwards’ father served in WWII. Her husband Alan Edwards -who died in August of this year- served in the Army. Her son served 22 years in the Air Force. She started the Hawaii AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary chapter because she knows what service takes from Veterans, and she knows how hard it is on families.
“We do whatever we can to help,” Edwards said. “I actually started getting cards and presents for in-patient Veterans without families years ago. With our AMVETS chapter, we can do so much more. We ensure that Veterans in nursing homes on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, and Kauai never have to feel forgotten.”
Veterans in nursing homes may be eligible to have their fees paid by VA. However, nursing home fees don’t cover personal grooming items, birthday cakes, or other things that can provide comfort. Edwards does many things to help with this. Operation Birthday is where they take a balloon, cupcakes, and a card to Veterans in nursing homes on their birthdays. They also bring cards for Veterans Day, and they ask Veterans for a wish list and provide small gifts for Christmas. They also work to get personal grooming items donated so that they can pass them out all year.
Many of the Veterans in nursing homes do not have family to bring them personal care items or remember their birthdays, so having someone to care keeps them from feeling so alone. Care facilities can be very isolating. At the VAPIHCS Community Living Center (CLC), staff do a wonderful job organizing events for Veterans and helping them feel special. However, not every care facility can organize May Day celebrations or Halloween costume contests. Funding is not often available for Christmas presents or birthday cakes.
“For Operation Birthday, we bring every Veteran a balloon, a card, and a box of cupcakes to share with their battle buddies,” Edwards says. “Their faces just light up, and they get so excited to blow out the candle and read the card.”
Recently, Edwards partnered with the VAPIHCS Women’s Health Program to have a card-signing event for Veterans Day. Volunteers wrote heartfelt messages and decorated cards for Veterans in nursing homes across the State of Hawaii. The cards will be delivered by volunteers on each island, to brighten the days of all the Veterans currently in nursing home care. Someday, Edwards hopes to also expand to including Veterans in the Medical Foster Home Program.
“As time has gone by more and more people have gotten involved,” Edwards said. “More nursing homes have reached out, and more volunteers, too. It grew so fast that before I knew it, we were bringing gifts and donations to Veterans on islands across the State of Hawaii. Each quarter the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary donates over 800 hours of volunteer time.”
The AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary is always looking for new members. Military in Hawaii can come and go often, and they are always recruiting because they are always losing members. They are also always looking for new businesses to donate personal care supplies, gifts for Veterans, and more. Individuals are also welcome to donate items and money to support undertakings like Operation Birthday.
Edwards recently received a Herstory Award from the Women’s Federation for World Peace USA on Nov. 9, 2024. She has served as past President of the Leeward Pilot Club, President of AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary, Lt Governor and Governor Elect of COED District for Pilots International (The Pilot Clubs of Hawaii) for the past 2 years. These accomplishments are important to her, but she is still struggling with the loss of her husband.
“We have more than 30 wonderful years together,” Edwards said. “He was a good man and I miss him very much. There are a lot of events coming up, and people keep telling me to get moving and help plan -and I am. But, part of me just wants to pull the covers over my head and cry every day right now.”
Edwards says that her fellow members of the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary have been kind and understanding but have also pushed her to get out of the house and focus on her work with Veterans. She knows that keeping busy helps, and she is looking forward to attending the Koa Challenge Veteran Games, receiving her award from the Women’s Federation for World Peace USA, the next Ohana Open Market at the Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic, and the many other events that are keeping her busy.
The website: https://amvetshawaii.org/post-meetings/amvets-hi-0008/