A Community of Volunteers Serving Veterans, Military, and their Families
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On Dec. 7, we remembered those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We encourage you to take a moment and commemorate the 2,403 servicemembers and civilians who were killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Every December, that day is a reminder for us to thank our military, veterans, and their families, and be grateful for the sacrifices they make.
ALA National President Vickie Koutz took part in a remembrance ceremony at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial. View her pictures from the event on Facebook.
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Do you want to serve on a national ALA committee for the 2023-2024 administrative year? Time is quickly running out to apply! National committee chairs and members are appointed annually and confirmed by the National Executive Committee to serve on a wide variety of ALA committees for you to explore. The goal is to match skill sets and talents that best complement the Auxiliary’s mission of serving veterans, the military, and their families. You need not have served as an officer in your district or department to be eligible for an appointment. Male spouse ALA members are welcome too. Apply before the Dec. 15 deadline! | |
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Who doesn’t love to save money, especially during the holiday season?
We are running a Mission Training 101 special from Dec. 19-25. Register using code HOLIDAY to get $10 off your registration!
Every member is invited to attend these fun, interactive trainings. They are beneficial for members at every level in our organization!
You will have a great time interacting with other ALA members while learning new ways to work the ALA’s mission and programs. Some of the highlights include learning about the importance of National Security, the 2022-2023 focus on POW/MIA awareness, informative details on the new ALA brandmarks and how to use them, and much more!
2022-2023 ALA Mission Trainings
- Jan. 21 – Indianapolis
- Jan. 28 – Nashville
- Feb. 4 – Las Vegas
Register now! (Don’t forget: Register between Dec. 19-25 and use code HOLIDAY to save!)
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A special offer for ALA national Junior meetings is also available! | |
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Just like Mission Trainings, we are offering the same holiday discount for ALA national Junior meetings. Register between Dec. 19-25 and use the code HOLIDAY to get $10 off your registration!
These events are a great way for Juniors to spend a Saturday having fun bonding with their peers. Members will learn leadership development skills while also gaining knowledge of the POW/MIA ceremony.
The national Junior meetings are held at the same time and in the same city as Mission Training. Junior members who have celebrated their 8th birthday or older may attend.
2022-2023 ALA Junior Meetings
- Jan. 21 – Indianapolis
- Jan. 28 – Nashville
- Feb. 4 – Las Vegas
Register now! (Don’t forget: Register between Dec. 19-25 and use code HOLIDAY to save!)
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Don’t let ALA scholarship deadlines sneak up on you | |
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Applications for ALA national scholarships are due March 1, 2023! Encourage students who are eligible to apply during their holiday break!
Scholarships available:
- Children of Warriors National Presidents’ Scholarship
- Non-Traditional Student Scholarship
- Spirit of Youth Scholarship
- Junior Member Loyalty Scholarship
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Have you renewed your membership? | Continue serving veterans, military, and their families by renewing your membership. 2022 memberships expire Dec. 31. You can renew your membership in three easy ways: by phone, online, or mail. Go to www.ALAforVeterans.org, call (317) 569-4570, or mail in your renewal notice. Help your unit keep your membership strong by reminding fellow members to renew before the end of the year. | |
Does your community offer transitional housing for veterans? Do they need a washer and dryer set or patio furniture? Is there a food pantry nearby that serves veterans and their families? Do they need walk-in refrigerators or other appliances? Is there a state veterans home, VA medical center, or VA outpatient clinic nearby? Do they need equipment that’s not provided by the facility but enhances the lives of the residents? Your ALA unit or department can apply for a Veterans Project Fund Grant up to $10,000 from the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation to help veterans in your community. For more information or to apply, visit www.ALAFoundation.org/grants. | |
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Online shopping through Amazon is easy and convenient, and giving back to the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation by shopping through AmazonSmile has never been easier. When you shop using AmazonSmile, you’ll find the same Amazon storefront you know and love, with the added bonus that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of the eligible purchase to the ALAF, at no additional cost to you!
You can sign up for AmazonSmile right in the Amazon app in FIVE simple steps:
- Open the Amazon Shopping app.
- Navigate to the main menu (≡).
- Tap on Settings and then select AmazonSmile.
- Select the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation as your charity then follow the on-screen instructions to turn ON AmazonSmile in the mobile app.
- Once AmazonSmile has been activated in your app, future eligible app purchases will generate a donation for the ALAF.
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National Wreaths Across America Day is Dec. 17. On this day, wreath-laying ceremonies will take place at Arlington National Cemetery and 3,400 locations in the United States, at sea, and abroad. American Legion Auxiliary is proud to participate in the Wreaths Across America 2022 escort to Arlington. The caravan began Dec. 10 in Maine. ALA National Vice President Lisa Williamson will be participating in part of the escort to Arlington National Cemetery. Follow along on our social media as the caravan makes its way to Arlington.
National Poppy Day® is May 26, 2023. It’s never too early to start planning! ALA National Headquarters is already making plans! We’d love to hear from you and make your unit/post home a part of our ALA media coverage. Send us an email and tell us about one, two, or all of the following:
- What are your plans for National Poppy Day?
- How have you used poppy funds to help veterans, military, and their families?
- Share a success story about how poppy funds helped someone in your community.
Need American Legion Family membership applications? We have two versions available – color and black-and-white available for download. We created the black-and-white version to be printer friendly from your home office.
Looking for an article from a past issue of Auxiliary magazine? You can find copies dating back to 2010! For older issues, contact [email protected].
Are you on Instagram? We are and would love for you to follow us! Just search for @ALAforVeterans.
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Find ALA program committee groups on Facebook | |
Discover what your fellow ALA members are saying in the committee Facebook groups! These easy-to-access forums provide an arena for organic discussion about your local programs or services and present the opportunity to cultivate brand awareness. Find the list of groups here.
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Helping to make sure our veterans aren't feeling the lonely winter blues, Indiana American Legion Auxiliary Unit 172 delivers seasonal cards with heartfelt messages and joyful coloring pages to veterans in their local nursing homes. "I think it's important for us as Auxiliary members, or any member of the Legion Family, to do whatever you can to help keep the veterans' spirits up, especially in the winter months when they are stuck inside and it's easier to get depressed," said Unit 172 member Lisa Garrett. | |
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Women veterans bring a different perspective to the Auxiliary because they know firsthand the needs of female veterans. Their experience in the military and then transitioning to a veteran may be vastly different from a man’s experience. This can help in your mission delivery in your community.
It is important for American Legion Auxiliary members to show support to these women. One way is to recruit them as Auxiliary members.
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Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve
Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
Dec. 31 – New Year’s Eve
Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day
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What can ALA members do to make their membership matter? | |
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“Volunteer to help at your unit. Ask what you can do. Share ideas with the Auxiliary about things you think would be fun, and support our programs.”
— Sherri McGee, Indiana
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An easy way to make your voice heard on Capitol Hill
The American Legion’s Grassroots Action Center allows you to contact every member of Congress on issues that pertain to The American Legion’s legislative priorities. It takes just a few minutes of your time. All you have to do to participate is click on one of the featured bills and complete the online form and hit submit. That’s it! Your voice has been heard!
Volunteers are needed to help with the 2023 national Oratorical Contest in Indianapolis
The American Legion invites American Legion Auxiliary members to participate as contest staff at the 2023 national Oratorical Contest. The national Oratorical finals will be held April 22-23, 2023, at the Wyndham Indianapolis West Hotel in Indianapolis.
Youth programs of The American Legion rely heavily upon the support of volunteer time. Please be assured that while volunteer time is a commodity greatly appreciated and highly valued by our organization, we want to ensure your awareness that The American Legion National Headquarters will not provide any financial compensation for your time or travel expenses associated with your volunteer support of the 2023 contest.
Please consider volunteering for this prestigious event. Those interested can register online.
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Legion Family Merchandise
Show your support by buying from
American Legion Flag & Emblem Sales.
Shop now
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The American Legion Legislative Alerts
The ALA supports the legislative agenda of The American Legion.
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In the spirit of Service Not Self, the mission of the American Legion Auxiliary is to support The American Legion and honor the sacrifice of those who serve by enhancing the lives of our veterans, military, and their families, both at home and abroad. For God and country, we advocate for veterans, educate our citizens, mentor youth, and promote patriotism, good citizenship, peace, and security.
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