Ten women from Post 283 in California are working together to complete all USA 250 Challenge categories while building something even bigger.
A group of women Legionnaires from American Legion Pacific Palisades Post 283 in California are strengthening their bonds while participating in all three elements of the USA 250 Challenge.
Navy veteran Michelle Heaton is coordinating the post’s Women Legionnaires Committee and its activities, including a recent day that was dedicated to engaging in all three challenge categories: community service, mental wellness and physical fitness.
The 10 women American Legion members visited Will Rogers State Beach, playing a game with a flying disc, practicing meditation with a sound bowl, and doling out water and snacks to other visitors.
“We decided to do the USA 250 Challenge as a group so we can incorporate some fun into the activities as well as continue to engage with the community as a whole,” she explained. “A lot of us don't get a chance to unwind, so this was a really good chance for us to get together and just meditate, have a little relaxation time, as well as getting a little bit more connection with each other. And we're going to bring awareness to the community that The American Legion goes out together and does things for the community.”
The American Legion’s USA 250 Challenge, which celebrates the nation’s 250th birthday, offers three categories for participants to pursue solo or as part of a team. Proceeds from the $30 registration fee and optional fundraising dollars go toward the Veterans & Children Foundation, which supports disabled veterans and military families in financial distress. To learn more, sign up or make a donation on behalf of a participant, visit this page.
Post 283 member Melissa Orduna, who served in the Navy during Operation Enduring Freedom, loves the opportunity to pursue all three challenge categories.
“The USA 250 Challenge is important to me because there's multiple facets to this, right?” she said. “I think that's an amazing feat for anybody. We do service, we do wellness and we do fitness. Just being able to tackle all fronts for an entire year is a great initiative for The American Legion.”
Not only is Orduna improving her fitness and wellness, as well as performing community service, she has also learned about herself in this journey.
“I've learned that I need to make more time for myself to actually do what I want to do,” she explained. “I am really career-focused, but this is also something that I find that feeds my soul. I've learned that I need to take a step back and just honor my commitment to the USA 250 Challenge.”
Community service is her favorite challenge category.
“I'm primarily working on the USA 250 Challenge for service,” she said. “Community service is important to me because it's something I've been doing for the majority of my life. It's just always been something that I wanted to do because it just makes me feel good and I like to be able to give back.”
Orduna noted their group can inspire other women veterans to join The American Legion
“The common bond that we share is our love of service,” she said. “We want to make a change for women leaving the service. We want to bring them on board. We want to show them that they're heard, that they're cared for, and most importantly, to build the camaraderie we have.”
Air Force veteran Xiomara Jovel, also a member of Post 283, didn’t let her arthritis keep her on the sidelines from participating in the USA 250 Challenge. She was among those playing with a flying disc on the beach and then performing a yoga-based meditation routine.
Still, Jovel is focusing on the community service aspect. She visits veterans at a VA hospital, playing games, walking and doing other activities with them multiple times a week.
“I'm working with my bedside patients who are hospitalized at the hospital for whatever reason,” she says. “I just to go say hello to them and it feels so good seeing them smile. They get out a little bit, but they smile back to me. It's so rewarding.”
As the women work toward achieving their individual goals for the challenge, they are also creating something bigger, more sustainable.
“We have to build a blueprint for the future,” she said. “My veterans are the important thing. When I see a veteran, I think, ‘What can I do for you? How can I help you?’ It’s kindness, empathy, it's what connects us. By myself, I could do good, but with a lot more people, together we could do greater things.”
- USA250 Challenge