Is your post conducting Buddy Checks? Please share on the web at www.legiontown.org.
Executive board members of Fred Brock American Legion Post 828 in San Antonio, Texas, recently conducted Buddy Checks on active and expired members of the post.
“We look out for our members, whether active or inactive,” said Post Commander Al Alford. “Buddy Checks provide the post with another system to check on our members, keep them informed and assist them when needed.”
District 20 Vice Commander Danny Muth of William M. Randolph American Legion Post 593 in Converse, Texas, helped Post 828 with calls.
“As a member of the 20th District Executive Board, it is important that we assist the posts within the district,” said Muth. “Buddy Checks and membership drives are two of the most important events that the posts of the 20th District can be doing.”
Muth shared that the Buddy Check program is an important tool for American Legion posts to reach out and check on the health and welfare of their members in these trying times. “With the isolation caused by COVID-19, it is even more critical to reach out to our members and all veterans to ask about their needs and requirements,” said Muth. “Sometimes just a phone call is all that is needed to let our veterans know that we are there for them.”
The post made more than 250 calls. In talking with the inactive members, many stated they would reinstate their membership.
The American Legion’s Buddy Check program is designed to give Legionnaires the tools to make contact, engage in conversation, assess risks and direct veterans in need to the appropriate services. Resources and toolkits for Buddy Check teams are available at www.legion.org/buddycheck.
Veterans can be at particular risk for depression and suicide around the holidays, and many are disproportionately hard-hit by the pandemic due to age, chronic health issues, post-traumatic stress and isolation. Legionnaires are urged to make check-in calls to at-risk veterans across the nation and offer support and access to wellness programs in the winter months ahead.
Is your post conducting Buddy Checks? Please share on the web at www.legiontown.org.
- Dispatch