American Legion Auxiliary
National President’s Award
for Excellence
This award is very special because it represents the “best of the best” in planning and implementation of Auxiliary efforts to meet the mission of serving veterans, children and communities. Unit #113, Meridian, under Jo Ann Bujarski, Unit President established objectives, created action steps to accomplish those objectives, and then reported to National their achieved outcomes. The three program chosen were Veteran’s Affairs & Rehabilitation, Public Relations and Community Service
This award was presented on the National Convention floor spotlighting the Department of Idaho. Shown to the convention body were pictures that showed unit members and student volunteers completing this project (see at bottom of this report). Look for Idaho to be featured in a centerfold spread in the national convention issue of Auxiliary magazine.
Clothing Drive for Homeless Veterans
The objectives were to plan, coordinate, and implement a clothing drive for homeless veterans in Boise area and to increase the public’s awareness of the plight of homeless veterans.
These Action Steps were followed:
o Contacted local newspapers to advertise clothing drive for homeless veterans. Articles ran several times during the month long drive.
o Contacted local banks to serve as a drop off point for the community to bring in clothing. Eleven banks participate, along with the two area city halls and a library. The banks advertised the clothing drive on their marquee signs out front.
o Distributed boxes to the individual banks and met with the bank managers thanking them for allowing the boxes to be placed in their lobbies and to provide a unit contact.
o Unit members were assigned to a location and collected the clothing at least weekly and in some cases 2 times a week.
o A Girl State Delegate sponsored by the Unit, contacted the organizers of a high school debate competition to arrange information on the drive to be distributed to participants of the competition and to have a drop off box at the debate. Several unit members volunteered to pick up the items at the debate.
o Due to the overwhelming response, midway through the drive, two truckloads of clothing, coats, hats, blankets and personal hygiene items were distributed to the Boise Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center Store. This store is open to all veterans who are in need of clothing, coats, etc. Items are provided at no charge.
o On the last day of the drive, local newspapers printed information on where to drop off clothing. At least 10 local citizens brought clothing, coats, hats, personal hygiene items.
o After 3 hours of sorting and bagging the 1 ½ tons of clothing collected, the items were taken to the Boise VAMC Store for distribution. Enlisted the assistance of Auxiliary Junior members to help with sorting.
This is what was accomplished by the 35 members in Unit #113 to win this award:
§ Over 1 ½ tons of clothing were donated along with boxes of personal hygiene item.
§ A job is being created for a homeless veteran to sort the donations and man the store at the VAMC.
§ This clothing drive increased the awareness of the homeless veterans as 10 local citizens brought items to the American Legion Hall, not to mention all the local citizens who brought items to the bank branches.
§ In addition to the clothing donated to the VAMC, blankets were donated to the humane society; clothing and personal hygiene items donated to the homeless shelter which has an entire floor reserved for veterans and to the women’s and children’s shelter.
§ A member of the National Honor Society heard about the drive and made it her service project. She made flyers and handed out within her neighborhood. She brought in several bags and boxes of clothing.