Buddy Checks help posts care for members

Over the course of two days last November, 14 members of American Legion Post 101 in Somers, Conn., made 375 phone calls. They conducted Buddy Checks by calling on members to check in on them.

“I found that conducting the Buddy Checks allowed me the opportunity to know a little more about our membership and their families, how they are doing and what we as a post can do for our veterans,” said Post 101 Commander Mike Craddy. The phone calls identified members’ needs for financial assistance, transportation, service officer help and visitation.

The Buddy Checks “allowed us to show to our membership that we care and that we are there for them,” Craddy said. “This program gave me the ability to get a more accurate accountability of our members needs and adjust our agenda to meet those needs. I did not realize that several of our members had situations in their lives that required someone to listen, care or just to feel that someone had their back.”

Resolution 18 calls for Buddy Checks to be conducted twice a year, but posts can conduct them at any time throughout the year. A kit is available to help guide posts on Buddy Checks. The online resource contains information about Buddy Checks, tips, answers to FAQs and downloadable resources such as a flyer, scripts and more.