This past week our nation honored our soldiers on Veterans Day. Farmville’s local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) continues to honor them every day. They do this by assisting veterans when they need it most.
“We are a charity, but we have helped with rent, dues for active duty members, sponsor veteran education and ill safe, which is when a person is incapable of caring for themselves we pick up their dues. On a national level,
the VFW will lobby Congress about Virginia rights, hospitals and education,” said VFW Post Commander, Blake Newman.
According to Newman, there are 700 veterans total in all of Prince Edward County, including Farmville.
The VFW are not the only ones who assist the veterans of Farmville and Prince Edward County. The town of Farmville and Longwood University help out as well when it comes to our soldiers.
“The town helps with the VFW if we want to do events. They will let us host events on the county
property. The school has a veterans group, but they have Wounded Warrior,” said Newman.
Thomas Lanigan, a Longwood University student, assists with the veterans here in Farmville, and volunteers at the VFW. He helps the local veterans saying, “I assist our veterans by donating to Farmville’s VFW Post (covers PE County) and attending their fund raisers. Also, you can attend their meetings and they will outline areas they can use assistance in.” Lanigan is actively involved in promoting VFW. “Veterans need assistance,” said Lanigan. Students can get involved by checking with VFW Post 7059, the Virginia Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
For those students that wish to help support the troops and veterans, there are many ways they can help out in Farmville, and beyond.
Lanigan comments, “Students can check online through the Wounded Warrior website and other non-profit organizations. [They can also] team up through student organizations and clubs.” Students can do this by volunteering at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond and visit wounded/disabled veterans. “This puts a huge smile on their faces,” said Lanigan.
According to Lanigan, the VFW Post 7059 students can help out the local veterans. When asked what students could be doing right now to be helping the local veterans, Lanigan said, “Students can participate in the clothing drive, visit disabled vets and help to organize events to raise awareness that our veterans have served our country to help defend the freedoms we enjoy every day.
