The Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) program. In 1946, the Legion, along with other veterans service organizations and related organizations, met in Washington with VA officials. What came out of those meetings was a blueprint for local volunteer participation in activities meant to help veterans under VA care.

Today, VA describes it as "one of the largest centralized volunteer programs in the federal government," with more than 350 supporting organizations. One of those is still the Legion. Nearly 7,000 volunteers serve 900,000 hours annually at various VA medical centers, community-based outpatient centers, vet centers, nursing homes, state veterans homes and other facilities. Legion involvement stretches from the national level (representatives in VA facilities), to the post and even the individual level. Learn more about how the Legion supports VAVS here, or download the VAVS handbook.