Hot Outside, Cool Jazz Inside for FOSH’s September Meetup With Veterans

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Entertainment, Saloon NIght with Friends

On Tuesday, Sept. 3, Friends of the Soldiers Home hosted veteran residents to a delightful gathering to listen to the great jazz sounds of Herb Scott and Collin Chambers. In addition to booking the talent, Friends of the Soldiers Home ordered pizza and brought in volunteers to serve the food and drinks, and to socialize. It was indeed a special evening at Defender’s Inn on the Armed Forces Retirement Home campus! If you would like to be part of an upcoming Saloon Night, either to perform or volunteer, write Lori Lincoln at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com.

The event occurs the first Tuesday night of each month at 6:30pm. Friends of the Soldiers Home and the community are honored to “give back” to the Home’s fabulous veterans with this special event!

Story and photos by John Hughes and Lou Avenilla  

Saloon Night Series Rocks for FOSH in May, June and July

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Saloon NIght with Friends

Friends of the Soldiers Home’s Saloon Night series continues to be one of FOSH’s most popular programs. Friends rocked the Defender’s Inn at the Armed Forces Retirement Home-Washington with a patriotic sing-along by acoustic performer Alan Bjerga in July, with a soulful performance by singer Geneva Renee in June, and a rollicking guitar set by Julia Kasdorf in May.

Friends of the Soldiers Home provided pizza and drinks, and FOSH volunteers served the good with a smile — then sometimes hit the dance floor with Soldiers Home residents. The fun continues Tuesday Aug. 6, at 6:30 pm with competitive Team Trivia. FOSH volunteers join wits with residents to see who wins bragging rights by correctly answering challenging questions dreamed up by Zach Hartman. If you would like to be part of the fun and volunteer for this event, contact FOSH Volunteer Coordinator Lori Lincoln at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com.

See you at Trivia Night!

FOSH’s March Volunteering `Madness’ Wraps Up With Three Events

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Bowling, Jingo, Saloon NIght with Friends

After a really fun Saloon Night in March, Friends of the Soldiers Home volunteers participated in three additional events during the month — Happy Hour, Bowling Night and Jingo. At each activity, we had a fantastic time connecting with the wonderful veterans at the Armed Forces Retirement Home. We also enjoyed seeing our fellow volunteers from the Nam Knights and Catholic University. April is young. To join us for some events this month — or in some other upcoming month — check out our calendar at friendsofsoldiers.org and express your interest in attending to Lori Lincoln at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com.

Thank you Lori for these wonderful photos!

Tickled Ivories, Tickled Fancies at FOSH Saloon Night in March

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Entertainment, Saloon NIght with Friends

George Gerich made the piano keys jump at the March version of Saloon Night With Friends. Soldiers Home residents enjoyed great music and pizza while Friends of the Soldiers Home volunteers mingled and enjoyed the fun. Join us for Saloon Night, which is always the first Tuesday of each month. Mark your calendars for April 2, when Saloon Night will feature team trivia!

Write volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com for details.

Photos courtesy of Lori Lincoln

First FOSH 2018 Volunteer Event Won by ‘The Bartenders’

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Saloon NIght with Friends

The first FOSH event of 2018, Saloon Night at Soldiers Home DC, was a great time on Tuesday evening, Jan. 2! Defender’s Inn looked beautiful for the event. Zach Hartman, a Friends of the Soldiers Home board member, was emcee of a competitive match of team trivia. FOSH volunteers teamed with residents to try to come up with the most correct answers. Every answer was a year for the New Year-themed game. When was the Wright Brothers’ first flight? When was the first loaf of sliced bread offered for sale? What year did Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” come out? What year did President Nixon resign? And so on. Beer and pizza were courtesy of FOSH. And the winner of team trivia night was … drumroll … the team called “The Bartenders!” This team’s members actually were the bartenders for the evening’s fun, and we think they cheated by serving all the others drinks and knocking them off their game! The next Saloon Night will be Feb. 6. Join us!

Photos and story by John Hughes.

March Saloon Night Tempo Matched the Outside Weather — Cool

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Saloon NIght with Friends, Volunteering

It wasn’t just ‘cool’ outside for this month’s version of Saloon Night at Armed Forces Retirement Home-DC. The incredible singer Elin, accompanied by Leo Garcia on piano, showcased cool tunes for the packed crowd. Both residents and volunteers soaked in the multi-lingual music, stories and drink. Friends of the Soldiers Home is proud to put on this monthly event, and FOSH volunteers always have a great time. Join us next month! The next Saloon Night will be April 4. Write Lori Lincoln at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers (at) gmail (dot) com to be part of the fun.

Story and photos by Lou Avenilla

FOSH’s February Saloon Night Brings Laughter, Singing and Dancing

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Saloon NIght with Friends

February’s Friends of the Soldiers Home Saloon Night was not just about serving beer and pizza, but it was also great fun and had an impressive showcase of talent! Crowd favorite Geneva Renee sang a variety of tunes that got folks singing as well as dancing. “Midnight Train To Georgia” really brought folks out to the dance floor! Friends provided gift bags with notes written by children thanking residents of the Soldiers Home for their service. Friends also handed out Travis Manion Foundation t-shirts. The items came to FOSH courtesy of Points of Light. There were volunteers a-plenty — 18 in all! — and resident bar tender Sheldon ensured that the drinks kept flowing. Looking forward to see you next month! FOSH’s Saloon Night is always the first Tuesday of the month. Write volunteerfriendsofsoldiers (at) gmail (dot) com to participate.

Story and photos by Lou Avenilla.

Friends of the Soldiers Home to Mark 200th Volunteer Event

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DCCX, Jingo, Saloon NIght with Friends, volun

(Cadets from the Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy, who volunteered through Friends at the DCCX bike race, courtesy of In The Crosshairs and Bruce Buckley Photography.)

Friends of the Soldiers Home will mark its 200th volunteer event on Tuesday, Nov. 1 with a performance by the Georgetown Phantoms vocal group, along with pizza, beer and cake, at Armed Forces Retirement Home-Washington. The milestone follows a busy October in which Friends held five volunteer activities, ending with participation in the Halloween Happy Hour at the Home on Oct. 25.

The month also included a Friends Hospitality Tent for Soldiers Home residents at the DCCX bike race Oct. 23, bowling night with residents Oct. 18, Jingo Night Oct. 13 and Saloon Night With Friends Oct. 4. The Nov. 1 event will come nine days before Friends celebrates the fifth anniversary of its founding. Along with the re-occurring monthly events, the 200 volunteer activities have included 12 community festivals such as July 4 and Fall Fun Fest, five bus trips for residents to off-campus events, and two special concert performances on campus. (See full list of 200 after the jump below.)

Friends is grateful to residents and AFRH-W staff for extending a warm welcome for all these events; to festival sponsors, including Anheuser-Busch, Annie’s Hardware and Crossfit Petworth; and to community partners including Nam Knights Capital Chapter, Points of Light, President Lincoln’s Cottage and Creative Minds International Public Charter School. Above all, Friends thanks the hundreds of volunteers, many who return again and again, for making this success story possible! You are all the best and none of this would have been possible without you!

Note: Photo of cadets from the Capital Guardian Youth Challenge Academy, who volunteered through Friends at the DCCX bike race, is courtesy of In The Crosshairs and Bruce Buckley Photography. All other photos of October events are by Reyn Anderson and John Hughes.

Full list of the 200 events after the jump

Friends of Soldiers Home Offers Veterans Stirring Saloon Night to Kick Off Fall

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Saloon NIght with Friends

The hits kept coming at the October version of Saloon Night, as Jackson Caesar regaled veteran residents and Friends of the Soldiers Home volunteers with a string of soul hits. The pizza was hot, the beer was cold and the friendships were warm. Coming just a couple days after the hugely successful Fall Fun Fest, FOSH knew this event would have to be high caliber, and gratefully it met the test. If Soldiers Home-DC residents thought this one was good, wait to see what FOSH has planned at the next Saloon Night Nov. 1. It is not to be missed!

Photos by Lori Lincoln, story by John Hughes.

Alan Bjerga Sing-A-Long Is Tough Act to Follow at Saloon Night

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Saloon NIght with Friends

When Friends of the Soldiers Home Board Member Zach Hartman heads to the Soldiers Home tomorrow to host a trivia contest for the monthly Saloon Night, he has a tough act to follow. Guitarist/singer Alan Bjerga, pictured, led veterans through a wide-ranging singalongfest at last month’s Saloon Night, including country, rock, pop and patriotic tunes. Alan performs each year at the July Saloon Night, and we are grateful he cares so much about the veteran residents of the Home to do this. In addition, 14 volunteers came out to enjoy cold beer, pizza and a heavy dose of friendship and companionship at the July event. It was truly a special moment when Alan ended the evening with a rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, and veterans and volunteers stood up ramrod straight and at attention. Friends of the Soldiers Home Volunteer Coordinator called it the best Saloon Night of the year! Can you top that one Zach?

Remember, Friends of the Soldiers Home hosts Saloon Night the first Tuesday of each month. If you would like to participate, drop a line to Lori Lincoln, who provided these photos, at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers (at) gmail (dot) com.