Veterans and Family Support - This program includes assistance to veterans who are not in
hospitals or nursing homes, and to Military families. It includes financial assistance, bringing
meals to shut-ins, and providing support during times of illness and bereavement. It can involve
driving people to the doctor's office or to church, mowing their lawn, helping with shopping, or
any type of assistance. It also includes support for the Military, such as funding or donating to
the National Military Services fund, adopting a Unit, or providing assistance to Military families
Veterans, service members and their families often face unexpected challenges and the VFW Auxiliary is here to assist them in their time of need. Since its founding in 1914, the VFW Auxiliary has worked tirelessly to offer financial and moral support to those who need it most.
The Veterans & Family Support Program:
- Offers support for veterans, service members and their families. Our Veterans & Family Support Resource Card includes a list of 20 organizations and agencies that offer support to veterans, service members and their families.
- Promotes Veteran and Military Suicide Awareness and Prevention
Each day, an estimated 20 veterans commit suicide. You can help lower this number and make a difference in the life of a veteran or service member in crisis by educating yourself and others about the warning signs of suicide.
- The Veteran & Military Suicide Awareness Blue Teardrop Sticker is the VFW Auxiliary’s symbol to give this issue the attention it so desperately needs. Wear the teardrop to open a conversation; when asked what the teardrop is, share that it’s to create awareness for veteran and military suicide.
- The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Support for deaf and hard of hearing individuals is available.
- Promotes VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS)
VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS) helps veterans, service members and their families obtain the benefits they deserve – free of charge. NVS provides a nationwide network of more than 2,000 VA-accredited VFW Service Officers across America and abroad who help hundreds of thousands of veterans navigate the Veterans Affairs system each year. In 2018, VFW’s service officers recovered more than $8.3 billion (yes, billion!) in earned benefits and compensation for veterans and their dependents, which includes $1.4 billion in new claims. Service officers assist all veterans, whether they are VFW members or not, in filing claims for:
- Disability compensation
- Rehabilitation and education programs, including GI Bill benefits
- Pension and death benefits
- Employment and training programs
- Promotes VFW’s Veterans & Military Support Programs
The VFW’s Veteran & Military Support Programs serve active-duty and recently discharged members of the military.
- VFW’s "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” provides service members and veterans with scholarships of up to $5,000 to complete their educational goals without incurring excessive student load debt.
- Unmet Needs is there to help America’s service members who have run into unexpected financial difficulties. The program provides financial aid of up to $1,500 to assist with basic life needs in the form of a grant – not a loan – so no repayment is required. To further ease the burden, the creditor is paid directly. The financial hardship must be due to one of the following:
- Currently on active duty, whose financial hardship is a result of a current deployment, military pay error, or from being discharged for medical reasons.
- Discharged on or after September 11, 2001, whose financial hardship is a direct result of your military service connected injuries and/or illnesses.
- Discharged prior to September 11, 2001, are on a fixed income that must include VA compensation for a service connected injury/illness and facing an unexpected financial hardship.
- The Military Assistance Program helps provide financial assistance to VFW Post and Auxiliaries to sponsor troop send-offs, homecomings and get-togethers. Posts and Auxiliaries participating in Adopt-A-Unit and Family Readiness Groups can also receive assistance.
- Check out "Operation Bottom Cover" -the National President's Special Project to help military and veterans with babies get the diapers they need.
Read more about the Veterans & Family Support Programs through the following reports from our 2024-25 WI Veterans & Family Support Chairperson Kathie Lendosky.
Veteran & Military Suicide Awareness
VFW's National Veterans Service
- VFW's National Veterans Service.
NVS Consist of a nationwide network of service officers who are experts in dealing with the claims process and help thousands of veterans cut through the bureaucratic red tape every year. They are the key to success, recovering approximately $1 billion in earned benefits and compensation for veterans each year.
VFW's Veterans & Military Support Program
VFW’s National Veterans Service
NVS consists of a nationwide network of service officers who are experts in dealing with the claims process and help thousands of veterans cut through the bureaucratic red tape every year. They are the key to success, recovering approximately $1 billion in earned benefits and compensation for veterans each year.
VFW’s Veterans & Military Support Program
