December 2024
Veterans Day at MVH
Veterans Day at each of our Homes was, again, an incredible opportunity to honor, recognize, and celebrate our members - and all of those who served.
At MVH at Chesterfield Township, Naldrett Elementary students visited and sang patriotic songs to our members. In addition, a special luncheon and ceremony were held, along with a dessert bar and evening entertainment. See some of the photos here.
At MVH at Grand Rapids, a waffle bar started the day, along with a visit with Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, who shared her gratitude for our members' service. The 126th Army Band additionally performed for members while our friends Meijer stopped to make a generous donation to the Home. The day also included a dessert bar, and more live music in the evening. See more photos here.
At MVH D.J. Jacobetti, members enjoyed a special dinner and dessert, a "salute," and plentiful cards, cookies, pins, and more.
The day - and season - included, as it does annually, many showings of gratitude from our communities. Cards and letters, monetary donations, goodies, and more - MVH is fortunate to be generously supported by so many people and organizations who recognize the importance of our members' service and sacrifice.
To all of our friends: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF OUR VETERANS.
Thanks to the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Detroit Lions, World War II veterans from MVH at Chesterfield Twp were invited to be recognized at the 11/17 'Salute to Service' game at Ford Field against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The veterans received on field recognition, a special suite to enjoy the game, and had greetings and gratitude shared with them from Dan Campbell, Calvin Johnson, Sheila Ford, and countless others.
The Lions came away victorious, and the opportunity was one our veterans will never forget. Remembering those who've served and sacrificed on our behalf is all of our responsibility, and we're incredibly grateful to the Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Lions for this special recognition of our members!
On December 14th at 12pm, our friends at Blue Star Mothers will again host a Wreaths Across America event at the MVH at Grand Rapids cemetery. After the ceremony in the cemetery, community members will place wreaths on the thousands of headstones of veterans and their spouses that lie peacefully on the MVHGR campus. Veterans from the Mexican American War, Civil War, and every time of peace and conflict since make the MVHGR cemetery their final resting place.
Honored to be a host site, the Wreaths Across America event at MVHGR is put on by a local nonprofit organization in partnership with the national WAA organization, and all wreaths are funded through sponsorship and donations. At MVH, we're grateful for the community organizations and partners that support this event and the nonprofit organizers. Wreaths Across America strives to remember the fallen, honor those who serve, and teach the next generation the value of freedom.
If you are interested in supporting the event, please visit the link below.
Overview - Wreaths Across America
As we enter the holiday season, there are plentiful ways to create smiles at Michigan Veteran Homes. The smile on MVH D.J. Jacobetti's Volunteer & Donations Coordinator Sarah Johnson, pictured above, is a perfect example of that. MVH friend and supporter Robert Krai stopped by the Jacobetti recently to present a $10,000 gift to the home, on behalf of DAV Chapter 14 in Holland, MI. The gift was deposited in the home's Charitable Support Fund and will be used to support quality of life programming and initiatives of the home - making veteran lives better in later-in-life and end-of-life care. We're incredibly grateful for Robert, DAV Ch. 14, and so many others who support our mission and our members.
There are many ways to create such smiles at MVH this holiday season. Monetary donations are always accepted into the Charitable Support Fund - separate from operational funds. Additionally, each home has a "wish list" of needs from Amazon and elsewhere. Groups or organizations can sponsor activities like bingo, or dessert bars, or otherwise. You can take a video and share your gratitude and well-wishes to our veterans, and then tag us on social media. And we get many, many letters and cards, too. If you decide to send a card - consider writing a letter.
We're incredibly grateful for each of the individuals and organizations that support our work with time, talents, treasures, ties, and testimony, and wish each of you a wonderful holiday season.
On Nov. 9th, runners, walkers, rollers, and friends came together at MVH at Grand Rapids for the Home's annual 'Veterans Day 5' event, which included options for a .5-mile Remembrance Walk, 5k, or 5-miler. The weather was wonderful, and the morning concluded with a pancake breakfast generously sponsored by SpartanNash. Also generously sponsoring the event was the McGraw Family, Gentex Corporation, Village Caregiving, Pioneer Systems, Zero Day, and myTeam Triumph of West Michigan. It takes a village, and the village showed up in force.
Thank you to all who came out and participated or otherwise supported the event, our mission, and our members.
We say it a lot. And, we mean it: Thank you.
The work we do at MVH in each of our homes is special. It's life changing, and it's work with impact that we're incredibly proud of. And while proud of the care and quality of life we're able to deliver, we're under no illusion that we do that work alone. We are very well aware that the only reason we can do what we do in providing the highest levels of care and quality of life, is because of the support and generosity of the so many volunteers, donors, organizations and other community partners that enhance our impact. Words don't do our gratitude justice, but thank you.
To all of our supporters, we share our immense gratitude, and wish each of you a wonderful holiday season. You deserve it.
Sincerely,
Your Friends at Michigan Veteran Homes
Donations to Michigan Veteran Homes are tax-deductible under 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Michigan Veteran Homes are making a difference in the lives of Michigan veterans and their loved ones. Join us.
Want to learn more about participating in the representative democracy our veterans stood to protect? Visit the Michigan Voter Information Center.
|
