Everything We Do, We Do for Veterans

Four Chaplains Day

Military service often entails sacrifice. Service members must sacrifice time with loved ones in order to carry out orders. Families must sacrifice stability in residence in order for service members to be stationed where they are needed.

Troops must sacrifice creature comforts and familiar surroundings in order to forward deploy. And, at times, men and women of the military might have to make the ultimate sacrifice for their fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen, or Marines. However these sacrifices may be acknowledged, whether honored publicly or observed privately, they are a part of the reality that is serving in the military.

Four Chaplains Day is one such day of public observation. Each year on Feb. 3rd, this day of remembrance is celebrated across the country. It honors four military chaplains who sacrificed their own lives to save the lives of their fellow service members during WWII.

To read more at Veteran.com, click here.

DEPARTMENT WEEKLY UPDATE

The Department Update for February 2, 2023, can be found in Members Only on our website at www.vfwca.org. To review previous Department Updates go to our website at: Department Updates.

For those who are new to the Friday Updates, to access the update go to our website (link below), click on Members Only. The username is your VFW membership number and the password is your last name.

If you are having problems logging into Members only, please contact Department Headquarters at info@vfwca.org. If you are having issues with reporting, clear your browser history and cache. Then try to submit again.

MEMBERSHIP

DEPARTMENT NUMBERS

The Department membership is currently at 52,798 or 92.55%. We need 5,391 more members to hit 102% or approximately 36.2 members per day until the end of the administrative year.

Congratulations to our latest 100% or greater Posts:

Post 5985-5 San Diego – 100.42%
Post 9624-5 Crestline – 107.27%
Post 3208-11 Sierra Madre – 117.94%
Post 1716-12 Freedom – 108.17%
Post 18723-14 Eureka – 100%
Post 4095-15 Olivehurst – 102.5%

The three (3) "R"s of the VFW; Renew, Recruit, and Reinstate! Sign up two eligible veterans now!

MEMBERSHIP MONDAY

We hear everyone talk about the importance of recruiting, but not everyone thinks about the responsibilities that come with signing up a new member! Join us next Monday, February 5th, at 2pm Central time, for our next Membership Monday training where we'll talk about the Responsibilities of Recruiting! Please encourage Posts and Districts in your Departments to attend these training sessions, or to make sure and check the Training & Support section of vfw.org to learn from previous sessions.

We will go live at the link below!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://vfw.zoom.us/j/8300853240

WOMEN VETERANS SURVEY

I hope this message finds you well. We at the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) are reaching out to you, a respected member of our community, with a special and important request. We are currently conducting the 2024 CalVet Women Veterans Survey, an initiative aimed at understanding the unique challenges and opportunities faced by our women veterans in California. Your participation and support in this effort are invaluable.

If you are a woman veteran, we humbly request your participation in the survey. Your insights and experiences are crucial in shaping a better future for fellow veterans. The survey will take approximately 20-30 minutes of your time, and we assure you that your privacy is our top priority. Your identity and all data collected will remain confidential and anonymous. To participate, please visit https://www.calvet.ca.gov/CAWomenVetsSurvey.

VOICE OF DEMOCRACY BANQUET

The Department of California held its Voice of Democracy Banquet on Friday, January 26th. This year saw 718 high school students compete for more than $52,000 in scholarships and 1,868 junior high students compete for more than $33,000 in scholarships. The Keynote speaker was Senator Caroline Menjivar.

The winners were:

1^st Place – Eliza Bourne Post 9934-2

2^nd Place – Rebecca Lavond Post 8254-17

3^rd Place – Katareena Roska Post 2070-11

4^th Place – Evelin Rubio Post 5689-8

5^th Place – Elizabeth Allen Post 8470-9

Honorable Mention

1. Viraj Shirhatti Post 9327-1

2. Gracie Raxter Post 1956-3

3. Shreyas Kulkarni Post 7243-4

4. Daniel Cabrera Post 3000-5

5. Katelyn Rushing Post 7665-6

6. Marissa Sabo Post 10978-7

7. Fendi DeAmicis Post 6298-10

8. Adelyn Wu Post 344-12

9. Valerie Chun Post 1051-13

10.Yelisavieta Valenska-Viazemski Post 6354-14

11.Aurora Osburn Post 3758-15

12.Rebecca Youtsey Post 8151-16

Patriot’s Pen Winners

1^st Place – Ryan Palesano Post 4103-12

2^nd Place – Yadira Barajas Post 2487-9

3^rd Place – Jasmine Ye Post 75-10

POSTS IN THE COMMUNITY

Take pictures of all the great work your Post is doing in your community and submit to Department HQ so we can feature you on the update.

CALIFORNIA VETERAN

The latest issue of the California Veteran is now out for viewing.

HIGHLIGHTING WHAT WE DO

We need to highlight all the good we are doing in our communities. Please send me pictures and descriptions of your community service. Send an article for the VFW magazine. Post on social media if you have started your Post page. And don't forget to submit your reports.

Click here to view the VFW 2023 Priority Goals!

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