(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - Hello, and welcome to the journal.

I'm Steve Kendall, the VFW National Home for Children traces its origins back to the mid twenties it's goal to meet the needs of America's military and veteran's families as those needs have changed.

So as the organization to tell us more, we're joined by Sue Alverson Development Director for the VFW National Home for Children.

Welcome to the journal.

- Thank you so much for having me, as Steve said, I am the Development Director here at the VFW National Home for Children.

I'm really appreciate the opportunity to share information about the national home with the PDS family in Ohio.

I'd like to start with a little bit of the history.

The VFW National for Children was born out of the desire to honor those who served our country by taking care of their families.

And they've been doing this since 1925.

That's when we took our first family.

And so in the twenties, you can imagine there weren't any safety nuts, like we're used to today in America and a young lady by the name of Amy Ross, from Detroit, had this idea of this village to take care of veterans and their families and the which she connected with the VFW.

And there was a farmer in the Eaton Rapids area, which Eaton Rapid is just south of Lansing.

So it's like south central, mid Michigan is what we call it.

And this farmer donated the original land.

And then we bought a couple other sections and started building homes.

so that you can imagine that over time it is changed.

But in the beginning, the entire area, we were like a self-contained talent.

If you will, they had their own store.

They had their own laundry area.

They had well laundry services and they had house mothers.

So which is totally different than today.

But I want this as again, just history and we want to make sure people have the correct information of what we do today, but the home is always served families from across the country.

It is a national nonprofit.

- Now you mentioned how it began.

And in essence, this was an effort for, of course, because we obviously had a military families who were, may have become without one spouse or the other.

And this was an effort to provide, as you said, a safety net that really didn't exist then for families that suddenly were without a father or a husband, that sort of thing.

- Exactly.

Especially during the World War I era.

So that's where the house mothers became.

You know, if I lived there with my kids, I may take another families, just their kids.

- (Steve Kendall) I see If, if the wife was, the mom was unable to be there for whatever reason, and the father had been killed in service.

So that was, and again, over time, it definitely has changed.

- Now.

And you talk about this area, roughly how big in terms of size is this particular VFW National Home for Children.

- Our property is 600 acres - Okay - Just over 600 acres.

And the community itself is 42 single family homes.

And we call it the campus area is about 80 acres and it houses the homes and also support services such as a gymnasium, a daycare type, all types of support services.

Our own, we have our own maintenance crew, our own wastewater treatment and our own water system.

- And with regard to when, as you mentioned that we obviously we're going back to the, the twenties, what typically were the kind of services that were provided in that era.

And then we can talk about, as you just mentioned, all of the things that are available today.

So typically I'm a unfortunately a wife, a mother, my husband's been killed in World War I, or somewhat in some of the other things that were going on in the twenties where the military is involved.

So how would I find out and how would I be involved, become a part of this community in that era.

- It was definitely through the VFW group.

We looked at them for not only support, but also finding those families that needed this safe Haven.

And one of the big differences.

If you look back in the twenties, I, again, if I came here with a one-year-old child, I could technically have stayed here until that child was 18 years old.

So it was a very long stay, which is different than today and I'll talk about that As we get going, but, and I mean, everything was provided.

I mean, we had a restaurant orchard, a farm, everything that a family would need was right here.

Very self-contained.

- Well, it's good to know, because obviously the need was there and we came, we're coming out of a, you know, a catastrophic military action, World War I.

And then of course the things that happened after that, because there were smaller events that involve the military throughout the twenties and the thirties.

If we jumped forward a little bit to today, how would I become, how would, if I was in that situation, what, how would someone approach me?

Or how would I find out about the services available now at the VFW National Home for Children?

- Well, there's currently three lanes of eligibility, active duty veteran, also through the VFW itself, if you have through, I'm sorry, through the VFW or auxiliary lane, like a descendant of a VFW or auxiliary member or active duty members.

So we, again, we rely on the VFW, but we're also out throughout people's communities trying to get the word out about the home.

- Yeah.

And, one of the things, I mean, you can, it's very simple to find online.

You simply type in vfwnationalhome.org, and you can find all of that.

You mentioned that you have 42 single family homes or about that number.

How strong is the remand?

I mean, is there's a list to get on?

Is that obviously there are lots of needs out there.

- There are a lot of needs, unfortunately, with COVID it really brought us to a stand.

So because people were not traveling, you know, everybody was kind of hunkered down.

So we do have homes available.

And I work with the VFW in Ohio, too.

I'm mean, they're great supporters.

There's a home on campus that is sponsored by the VFW Department of Ohio.

And so we asked them to work through their networks and also getting outside of the VFW, you know, into their community, through their churches, you know, that type of thing.

- Well, when we come back, let's talk a little bit more about the kinds of things that if you are there at the VFW National Home for Children, the services and wide range of things that are available for the families that are there.

Back in just a moment with Sue Alverson of the VFW National Home for Children here on The Journal.

Thank you for staying with us here on The Journal.

Our guest is Sue Alverson, the Development Director for the VFW National Home for Children Sue in the first segment, we talked about the history and the background and then some of the services, but let's drill down for people who, again, aren't maybe as familiar as they could be or should be with the VFW National Home for Children.

Let's talk about the services, the things that are available for families who are able to take advantage of this wonderful situation you provide.

- Right.

Great.

Thank you, Steve.

Currently the program is a 1 to 4 year program and it just really depends on what the family's looking for.

Again, we talked earlier, it used to be, you lived here for years and years.

Now, this is a goal oriented program.

Our goal is to help the families, give them the foundation that they need to go on and be successful in life.

Now there's many things that could bring a family to wanting to apply to the National Home.

It might be financial, it might be PTSD issues.

It could be, they just need a reset and getting ready to go, you know, back into civilian life.

There's many, many different reasons that people apply, but that's the key.

They do have to apply to the program.

And again, there's three lanes of eligibility, active duty military, a veteran, or a descendant of a VFW or auxiliary member is able to apply.

There are rules.

We have a no smoking campus.

We have no drinking on the campus and also weapons free.

So there are things that, you know, people have to give up in order to have this opportunity.

Again, a 1 to 4 year goal oriented program, depending on what the family is going through.

And every year the family basically reapplies.

So just to make sure that they're, you know, staying on track, I like to say it's a hand up and not a handout.

And that seems to really register with people.

So once you've applied for the home to live at the home, it's a rigorous application process that can take up to two months to you meet with a case manager.

There's the case managers act as a life coach, if you will.

So they're kind of your cheerleader along the way.

Let's say my goal is to, I want to get a degree while I live here and they're going to help work with the college and, you know, be that support group, support person for the parents and also for the children.

So first when they live here, they get free housing, which is amazing.

We have three different, we have like the houses that were the original and I don't mean original.

Like they haven't been worked at all, but they were built in like the twenties and the thirties and the forties.

And then we have the second generation, which are ranch houses.

And then we have the third generation is duplexes.

So we kind of fit the family depending on how many folks are in the family, to the houses and what we have available.

So free housing that's means no electricity bills, no garbage bills.

I mean, if you can imagine, and also we have an onsite licensed daycare.

If you can imagine that burden being taken off of families and that's up through until they start school, their kids can go to our onsite daycare.

A customized family program with that life coach with that case manager, just to, again, to be there, to cheer you through the ups and the downs.

And we're very flexible.

That's really what makes us so different.

For example, we've had some families that came in and they were on their original plan and then they had health issues.

So their new goals became health oriented because every parent is required to have 40 hours of productivity while they're in the program.

So that could be working, but when a school or a combination of both, but obviously when life throws you a curve ball, we're there and we're flexible.

And then health became the priority.

- Well, you anticipated.

One of my questions is ask about obviously all of the onsite services.

So the children are event go, once you become of kindergarten elementary age, that sort of thing, whatever it is, they go to a local school then, is that how that works for their education, besides the onsite things that are available to them?

Okay.

- Yup.

That is correct.

Eaton rapids, public schools in Michigan, we have school of choice.

So if the family decides to they want a different school, then it's up to them, to transport their kids because the public school bus comes through campus.

But another support service that we have is in our education department, we have tutoring services, we have a computer lab, we have a science lab, but we have people on staff that will help the children if they're struggling and they work close with the school.

- Yeah.

And, by definition that we don't, I don't mean to sound this, but this, these are families that are, are making a transition, have dealt with some, you know, issues and things like that.

Obviously, a military service takes its toll on the entire family, not just the person involved in the military.

So this is a good way to kind of get them, give them a best, a good place to be while they get all of that, you know, back to, to normal.

If that's the right word - That's correct - To make, help them make that transition after all of these other changes that have taken place.

- Yup.

That's another opportunity we have is called life skills.

And that is a program for obviously different classes.

But for parents, we offer financial classes, maybe resume writing classes.

And then for the kids, there's classes on how to clean up your room, how to make your bed, how to, you know, so we just cover the whole gamut and encompass the family.

- Yeah.

And as you look through the site, because if you look online at the online website, it shows all of that and it shows the scope.

And the, I think the keyword, you said, you know that the flexibility of the program, because obviously you have families coming in from all different sets of circumstances.

And that's a, big thing because, there is just not, it isn't a cookie cutter, it's we, you try to deal with custom programs so that families get the best potential for success out of this.

- That's correct.

And, when I started, you know, there's so many nonprofits and a lot that are focused on veterans and it just it's really the indebtedness That's what I realized is just the indebtedness of the program, you can give people new houses and all kinds of things, but if their family is falling apart, none of that matters.

So that's where, you know, it's the foundation work.

- Yeah.

Well, we come back.

One of the things, obviously, you're a non-profit that means you're always looking for opportunities for people to help support the program.

So we come back, we can talk about that as well, how people can get involved from the support side of the VFW National Home for Children Back in just a moment here on The Journal.

Thanks for staying with us on The Journal.

Our guest is Sue Alverson, the Development Director for the VFW National Home for Children Sue with this organization.

Obviously you have a leadership team and a lot of administrative people, not a lot, but you have an administrative team that of course manages the home and guides it.

So talk a little about that structure for the VFW National Home for Children.

- Thank you.

The VFW National for Children board of trustees serves as our governing body of the corporation.

They work with the management team here.

Now the trustees are from 12 different districts throughout the country.

And matter of fact, later this week, they're all flying in for our, we have an October board meeting, we meet with them three times a year on site, and then many times, you know, just via zoom now or phone calls or whatever.

So they are the governing body of the organization.

- Yeah.

And how were they chosen or how are they involved?

How do they become involved as it as a trustee?

- One of the services, or I should say the ways to get involved with the home is becoming a life member.

So being a life member, you have to be a VFW or auxiliary member, and then you get voting rights.

And then in your area, for example, the trustee from Ohio current trustee is Sam Compton and his district is district number 4.

So the folks in Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia voted for that position and elected Sam.

And if there's six year terms also.

- Okay.

And that happens all over the country.

These districts are all divided up.

- Every October to go on and to go off.

So we don't have all the districts changing up at one time.

- Sure You got some continuity.

And so, yeah.

Now with regard to that, and you talked about the administrative staff as well.

Roughly how many people are working at the VFW National Home for Children to provide these services for these families?

- We have about 50 people.

- Okay.

So it's a good size, but not, yeah, it's not over.

Yeah.

It's not overly administered in other words, which is a good thing.

If I'm just a, you know, I'm hearing this program, I'm looking online at this.

Obviously this is a nonprofit organization.

Talk a little about the ways that people can financially or otherwise help support the VFW National Home for Children.

- Sure.

Although we rely on the VFW for support, we also rely on individuals outside of the VFW and we mail folks to, so they can learn about us.

We contact businesses and organizations to try, you know, we look at foundations and try to get businesses involved with volunteering here to try to spread the word.

They are, even like I said, even though the VFW are our strong supporters, we look every whoever loves veterans, whoever loves veterans.

And there's many ways you can donate through our website.

We have programs such as our tribute park here on campus where tribute pieces can be purchased and it's a beautiful park.

And then the net proceeds go into a permanently restricted endowment fund.

We have a program called Home Front Heroes if you'd like to become a monthly donor.

And I know PBI, I hear PBS does kind of the same thing.

That way you can give, you know, if it's $10 a month just every month and then you get taken off the mailing list.

So that's the selling point to that.

You don't hear from us quite as much.

So you can, we have a tribute brick program for a $100.

It's a brick that has, you can leave in memory of somebody or in honor of somebody, those are placed throughout the campus.

- And also to obviously, as people are doing their financial planning for retirement and things after that, there are plans for that too.

So people can leave money in their wills to your organization or whatever the situation is.

Now, you mentioned the bricks and the tribute park.

How much of this, if I want, if I was at Eaton rapids and said, I want to go visit, how would I go about that?

Can I just drive in there?

Is there, do I have to get set up an appointment?

Just if I just want to see what goes on or maybe look at the, trivia at the park where you've got the bricks and the, I know there's a World War II Memorial, there are things like that.

So how, what is access like up there?

- Well, we do prefer to have a, to know that somebody's coming because then we can manage our staff's time, but we love giving tours.

We love giving tours.

I mean, this is, especially this time of year, spring, summer, fall is just an awesome time.

So yeah.

Please contact us, and you can do it online too on our website.

- Yeah.

And in one of the things, that I was looking at the website, lots of information, it's very clear, very easy to follow.

And it really does explain a lot about what happens there and the services and all of that the whole scope of things.

If people wanted to just pick up the phone, what's the easiest way, what's the number they should call, just go with the website.

The numbers are all up there.

I'm sure.

- Yes.

And that is something the, for the program, if anybody knows somebody in their community that they think could benefit, we have a helpline, which is 8003134200, and that is really the gateway to receiving help.

Now, if you are interested in learning, wanting to talk on the donor side of it, then that number is 8664839642.

And again, our website, which is vfwnationalhome.org, all spelled out.

But I did to, just for a second, talk about the helpline.

We also, if our on campus program is not the right thing for a family to move from their community, we also offer off campus services, which you, a family could work with a case manager and not actually move here.

- Oh, that's good to know because you're right.

Not everybody maybe has the option to do that.

I mean, it'd be great if they could, but the reality is sometimes that's not possible yet.

They can still have access to the services and all of the things, the resources that come along with the VFW National Home for Children.

So Alverson thank you so much for being here and glad we were able to have you on to talk about this very important and just, you know, an incredible resource that is available to veterans, families and people in the military.

So it's a, good thing.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you very much.

I would like to say that there is something called Ohio Day that we hold every August and not only VFW members, but individuals can come too, and that information can be found on our website.

- Okay, great.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you for having me.

- Sure.

You're welcome.

And you can check us out @wbgu.org and watch us every Thursday night at 8:00 PM on WBGU PBS.

We'll see you again.

Next time on The Journal.

Good night and good luck.

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