National Veterans Creative Arts Festival gives our heroes a creative and safe outlet
This week, the American Legion Auxiliary national Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Committee is in Columbia, S.C., for the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival June 9-14. The annual event is co-presented with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The national ALA has been part of this event since 2000. Follow along on our Facebook and Instagram to see more from Festival veterans about what makes this week so life-changing! The ALA is proud to support our veterans through the therapeutic arts.
To read more about NVCAF, go here.
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Check out these upcoming ALA Academy webinars
The ALA Foundation Veteran Projects Fund: Where Ideas Become Impact
When: June 23 @ noon ET
Join us for an introduction to the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation and its role in expanding mission impact through philanthropic support. This webinar will focus on the Veteran Projects Fund as a key funding opportunity that empowers members to bring meaningful, veteran-focused projects to life. Learn how the Foundation operates, what it funds, and how you can access resources to support your own initiatives.
To register, go here.
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Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Estate Planning Essentials
When: July 14 @ noon ET
This webinar will provide participants with straightforward, easy-to-understand information about wills and other essential estate planning documents. The presentation will explain the purpose of key legal documents such as wills, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives, along with common considerations for individuals and families at every stage of life. Participants will gain valuable insights into the role these documents play in protecting personal wishes, helping loved ones navigate difficult situations, and supporting long-term planning goals.
Please note: The presenting attorney is licensed in Virginia and will only speak to Virginia law. This session is for informational purposes only and does not include legal advice.
To register, go here.
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Show us your red, white, and blue and earn a special patch
How patriotic are you? Are red, white, and blue colors a regular part of your wardrobe? Get decked out in your most patriotic gear and send us a pic of you, your ALA unit, or American Legion Family in honor of the United States turning 250 on July 4. The first 250 people to send us a photo will earn the patch pictured here. Open to everyone. Upload pics here.
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USA 250 Challenge: Have you signed up?
Join this challenge culminating with America’s birthday on July 4. Participants have three areas — fitness, mental wellness, and/or community service — they can engage in as part of a team, like an ALA unit, or as an individual. You can do one category or go the extra mile and do all three!
Register here for $30 and get a USA 250 Legion Family T-shirt and donate to a good cause. For more information on ways to fulfill the categories, go to the USA 250 Challenge website.
Watch National President Pam Ray’s video for ideas on the community service category!
Want more than a T-shirt? Click here to look at other USA 250 Challenge merch!
Special awards available for fundraising!
To keep the USA 250 momentum going, The American Legion has awards available for those who hit certain fundraising goals with three fundraising tiers:
- For $250 in donations raised, participants receive a USA 250 Challenge hat pin.
- For $500 in donations raised, participants receive a USA 250 Challenge coin and a personalized certificate of appreciation.
- For $2,500 in donations raised, participants receive a personalized plaque signed by American Legion Commander Dan Wiley.
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Support your local ALA entity directly with this SmileAssociate benefit expansion
The American Legion Auxiliary is introducing a new way for departments, districts, units, and ALA Girls State programs to raise funds through everyday Amazon shopping. Through our partnership with SmileAssociate, each ALA entity now has a dedicated shopping page, allowing supporters to start their purchases through a unique link that generates donations, at no additional cost to them. This simple, passive fundraising opportunity works with shopping habits already in place and provides quarterly contributions along with transparent reporting. By sharing your link and encouraging consistent use, ALA entities can create a steady stream of support for programs that serve veterans, military families, and communities nationwide.
Get started by visiting www.smileassociate.com/alanational and find your ALA entity today! For questions or more information, please contact ALA National Headquarters’ Carley Schutz, Development Division director, at cschutz@ALAforVeterans.org.
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Celebrate Flag Day on June 14 with Flags of Valor, a veteran-owned company creating handcrafted patriotic gifts from reclaimed American wood. ALA members receive 10% off with code ALA10, and 15% of proceeds support American Legion Auxiliary programs serving veterans, military servicemembers, and their families.
Shop with pride at FlagsOfValor.com.
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Through the Auxiliary Emergency Fund (AEF), the American Legion Auxiliary continues its mission of members helping members by providing grant assistance to eligible members facing financial hardship after disasters or other qualifying emergencies.
Learn more at www.ALAforVeterans.org/AEF.
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ALAMIS (the ALA’s management information system/member database) will be undergoing a substantial upgrade that will affect ALAMIS and the MyAuxiliary member portal.
Timeframe:
- ALAMIS and the member portal will be unavailable starting at noon ET June 22. ALAMIS is expected to be back up and running on July 6.
How will this upgrade impact members?
- During this time, membership processing, reports, or payment of dues will not be available. This means that if you call National Headquarters about your member record, we can’t change anything because the system is down for staff too.
- Changes to the MyAuxiliary portal for our members will be minimal.
- ALAMIS users will see a new, more intuitive interface when they log in.
Amazon Prime Day gives fundraising opportunity in June: Through the ALA’s partnership with SmileAssociate, a percentage of Amazon sales via a unique link go to ALA entities. Prime Day, an exclusive event for Amazon Prime members, will be June 23 at 12:01 a.m. PT through June 26. To learn more about the SmileAssociate partnership, go to the ALA blog. To access the fundraising link, go to the SmileAssociate directory to find your ALA entity.
Don’t miss out! The August Auxiliary magazine is heading your way! The August issue of our national quarterly magazine is heading to mailboxes in mid-July. A digital copy will be available on our website. Send us your thoughts on this issue: Email PR@ALAforVeterans.org.
Missed a webinar?
Go to ALA Academy to review recordings and see what other webinars are coming up. Click here!
Have an idea for an Academy Course?Email ALAAcademy@ALAforVeterans.org to send your ideas for potential courses.
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ALA COMMITTEE FACEBOOK GROUPS ENCOURAGE DISCUSSION
These national committee groups are spaces on the social media platform for ALA members to discuss or share ideas about topics related to each committee. Groups provide a safe place for organic discussion about your local programs or services and support efforts to grow our organization’s awareness. Visit www.ALAforVeterans.org/social-media to join the groups you’re passionate about.
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Help the next leader in line succeed
Leadership and mentoring are incredibly important for the future of the American Legion Auxiliary as members pass down knowledge on how to move the mission forward. This is true for all levels of the organization — from unit to national.
Read more
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Military Child Education Coalition: What is it and how can we engage?
The mission of the Military Child Education Coalition is to ensure quality education experiences for military children. The MCEC is an organization that the American Legion Auxiliary promotes, and we share the same mission — to take care of military children.
Read more
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June: PTSD Awareness Month
June: Pride Month
June 14: Flag Day
June 14: U.S. Army Birthday
June 14: World Blood Donor Day
June 14-20: National Flag Week
June 19: Juneteenth/ALA National Headquarters Closed
June 20: National American Eagle Day
June 21: Father’s Day
June 23: United Nations Public Service Day
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“Honoring the fallen is best accomplished by honoring their living brothers and sisters — those who continue to bear the mental, physical, and emotional wounds of service. When care, compassion, and commitment are extended to living veterans, remembrance becomes more than words.”
— Steve Yetter, U.S. Army veteran
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American Legion Riders escorting U.S. flag from Pittsburgh to U.S. capital to celebrate USA 250th
As part of the United States’ 250th birthday, Riders will escort the flag in a one-day trip to Washington, D.C. This flag will have traveled to 26 countries, being flown over U.S. military memorials and cemeteries under the American Battle Monuments Commission’s guard. This escort is the final leg on its international tour, Sojourn 250.
Sojourn 250 is looking for 275 riders, and registration will close once that number is hit. There’s a registration fee of $250 per rider and $50 for passengers. Registration is only online. To register to be one of the escorts, click here. To learn more, go here. If you have any questions, please email legionriders@legion.org with the subject line Sojourn 250.
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Need a new podcast? Try The American Legion podcast Tango Alpha Lima
This podcast aims to engage veterans and The American Legion Family with authentic stories, education, and entertainment, while also building a virtual community. Available on various listening platforms, such as Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and iHeartRadio.
To learn more about the podcast, click here.
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