'We are all family'
Meet Carlene Parker, a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 6 in Corinth, Miss., since 2011. Unit 6 has been successful in publicizing its fundraisers and events for Veterans Day, toy drives, National Day of Prayer and more. And, Unit and Post 6 work closely together to accomplish their goal of “service to community.”
Priscilla Imburgia: Are you an elected officer of Unit 6? And what committees do you serve on?
Carlene: This will be my third year to serve as president of Unit 6, as well as membership chairman, and I will be serving as public relations chairman.
Priscilla: You first came to my attention when I saw a Facebook ad for your unit hosting a blood drive. How did you use Facebook to promote the blood drive?
Carlene: Our unit has a Facebook page, created two years ago. We try to make sure everything our post and unit has coming up is posted on that page, as well as the Department of Mississippi’s Facebook page, and my own personal Facebook page. I sometimes find more response from social media than the newspaper. Josh Mitchell, a very energetic guy who really works hard to provide a service in social media to the community, has a Facebook page called “Corinth Today,” and he promotes us as well.
Priscilla: What other media have you used in letting both American Legion Family members and the general public know about your unit’s activities? And what challenges do you face in getting media attention?
Carlene: Journalist Steve Beavers of The Daily Corinthian is my go-to man; he always does a fantastic job covering whatever we have going on. Post 6 member Bobby McDaniel also covers us on his Thursday morning radio show “Community Contac” on WXRZ. I have had very little to no challenge in getting media attention because everyone around our southern area has a deep respect for our veterans, as well as The American Legion.
Priscilla: It sounds like you have made good media connections in your community and understand the value they bring to your efforts. Are there any other Legion members in the media besides Bobby?
Carlene: No, but we are currently looking into if they qualify as members. Bobby McDaniel is a longtime member.
Priscilla: Are you and anyone in your unit members of the National American Legion Press Association or a local state association?
Carlene: I am now (a member of NALPA)! I am still in the process of learning avenues to get the word out (about community efforts conducted by Post and Unit 6).
Priscilla: How could NALPA help your unit in achieving its various media goals?
Carlene: After learning about and reviewing NALPA’s website, I found a lot of good ideas I intend to discuss with the post commander and see if we can get some new things started.
Priscilla: Do you have anything else you would like to share with NALPA members?
Carlene: I am proud to be a member of such a wonderful organization. We owe our veterans and military such a debt that there is no way to ever repay it. Anything our unit and myself can do is such a tiny drop in the bottom of the bucket.
Unit 6 is small, but we are mighty. We strive to be on hand to do whatever possible for (veterans) and our community and to keep educating people of the fact that freedom is not free, it is the most costly thing in the world because it has and still does require the ultimate price of many lives, many live with scars of the physical type to the body and mind as well as the scars of the heart they live with for the rest of their lives.
Thank you seems so shallow for all they have done for us, but I have seen time after time what it means to veterans and servicemembers when you shake their hand and say ‘Thank you for your service.’ The smiles on their faces are priceless. Many respond with ‘My pleasure,’ and they truly mean it.
My advice to any American Legion post and unit would be no matter how big or small you are in numbers, you can achieve great things as long as everyone pulls and works together. Because after all, we are all family.
Lastly, I would like to say thank you to my Unit 6 members. There is no ‘I’ in ‘we,’ and I could not do what we do without them.
Priscilla: Thank you Carlene and Unit 6 for working so hard within your community and for being creative in your approach to using various media to bring attention to your activities.