Chris Reed, VA&R Representative
I think we’re all ready for this winter to be over and move on to some warmer weather! Our Auxiliary has been busy with lots of fun activities, making it a great year for the Veterans.
Recently, we hosted the annual bowling tournament with a meal in honor of the National Salute to Veterans Week. This was our 3rd year of hosting this event, and it’s always a lot of fun!
Other activities we have lined up for the year include the PGA Golf Outing in May, the Summer Concert at the Pavilion in July, the Patient Carnival in September, and we’ll wind down the year with Winter Wonderland and Christmas Gift Shop in December. Dates for all of these events are to be determined.
We held the 2025 Christmas Gift Shop on December 10. Fourteen members representing five Units helped this year. We provided gift bags for a total of 322 Veterans. This included the in-house Veterans at the VA, as well as six additional Veteran organizations in the community. I want to thank all Auxiliary Units, Legion Posts, and Son Squadrons, who donated money for the Battle Creek Christmas Gift Shop. I was overwhelmed by the donations we received. They helped us purchase all the items needed for the Gift Shop. Your continued support and generosity are most sincerely appreciated!
In addition to these events, there is one monthly event: Bingo. Many Units have stepped up to help sponsor the monthly bingo, and I believe they all enjoyed it. We can always use volunteers from our surrounding Districts to help. Bingo is on the 4th Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. and lasts about 1-1/2 hours. It doesn’t require many people, just 3-4 volunteers. If your Unit is interested in hosting, I can guarantee a very heartwarming experience that the Veterans love. My contact information is below if you are interested.
As you can see, many events take place at the Battle Creek VA. We are always looking for volunteers who would like to join in the fun. If you have any questions regarding these opportunities, please don’t hesitate to contact me at email: ckhud@mei.net or cell: 269-420-1488. We would love to see some new faces, and so would the Veterans!
In addition, we are accepting monetary donations throughout the year. These funds help us support all of the activities I have listed in this report. Your support is always appreciated. Donations should be made out to the ALA Department of Michigan and mailed directly to 212 N. Verlinden Avenue, Suite B, Lansing, Michigan 48915. Please be sure to indicate “Battle Creek VA”.
After checking with the Community & Volunteer Services staff, we could use the following items donated: Men’s tennis shoes – all sizes, Men’s colored t-shirts (no white) – sizes XL, 2X and 3X, Men’s gloves, Men’s coats – 2X, 3X and 4X only, Men’s 3-in-1 body wash. Items can be taken directly or shipped to Battle Creek VAMC, Community and Volunteer Service (135) Bldg 10, 5500 Armstrong Road, Battle Creek, Michigan 49037. On August 12, Barb Parks, Penny Wright, Jackie Skinner, and I attended the annual Battle Creek VA Medical Center Volunteer Luncheon, where we received the Community Service Award! It was an exciting time for our Auxiliary.
Unfortunately, Barb Parks passed away on January 2. She was the past representative for the VA and also a Past District President. She was such a devoted lady to our Veterans and will be terribly missed.
I want to thank Penny Wright for her help and support throughout the year. I appreciate the opportunity to continue serving as the VA&R Representative for Battle Creek and thank all of you for your help and support over the past several years.
