SEEKING FALL FUN FEST VOLUNTEERS!

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Fall Fun Fest, Volunteering

SEEKING FALL FUN FEST VOLUNTEERS! We hope you are coming out to the Soldiers Home campus for the wonderful Fall Fun Fest on Sunday, Sept. 29. When you do, how about giving a little time volunteering before or after you enjoy the attractions? Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/DziwFVT

FOSH Is Looking For July 4 Volunteers

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Volunteering

Join the red-shirt brigade and be a Friends of the Soldiers Home volunteer on July 4! We are about two-thirds full so there is still room to join! To sign up for a fun job, go here: signup.com/go/YExnGce

January’s Jingo Night Not Just a Trivial Matter for FOSH Volunteers

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Jingo, Volunteering

We were thrilled to welcome six first-time volunteers at Jingo Night in January. This is always one of our favorite monthly volunteer events through Friends of the Soldiers Home because we get to work one-on-one with elderly veterans who have served our nation so well. The event is kid friendly, which is a wonderful way for young ones to rack up those much-needed volunteer hours for school. Lots of people wonder, “What is Jingo?” When they show up, they realize that Jingo is like bingo, but with a trivia question added. Fun! The next opportunity is Thursday evening, Feb. 14. Hmm, I sense a Valentine’s Day theme will be coming for that game! Join us by dropping a line to Lori Lincoln at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com.

FOSH Rolls Into 2019 By Bowling With Elderly Veterans

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Bowling, Volunteering

It is always a pleasure when Friends of the Soldiers Home volunteers meet up with the wonderful Armed Forces Retirement Home veterans at the bowling lanes. Our latest get together on a cold Tuesday evening in January was like many of our other ventures at the lanes. We are happy that we get to help residents use their wonderful bowling facility. We have fun rolling a few balls ourselves. And when the evening is over, we are always glad we came!

Join us for the next Bowling Night on Tuesday, Feb. 19 (the day after President’s Day) by expressing your interest with an email to our volunteer coordinator, Lori Lincoln, at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com.

FOSH’s Volunteer Year of 2018 Ends With Sounds of Falling Pins

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Bowling, Volunteering

Just before 2018 ended we snuck in one more fun event with Armed Forces Retirement Home-DC residents. Every year Geico sponsors a bowling challenge for the AFRH residents by providing food and prizes for the occasion. This year, the winning scores only differed by a few pins (107, 106, 103 and 101)! Next year we look forward to an expanded tournament for both the residents and FOSH volunteers.

Annual Holiday Card Event at Soldiers Home Spreads Cheer

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holiday cards, Volunteering

Thanks so much to a group of beautiful youngsters from the community surrounding the Armed Forces Retirement Home-DC who delivered home-made holiday cards to some very deserving veterans. The group brought the cards with plenty of smiles and energy — and sang holiday tunes to every resident they could find! It was such a wonderful day for what over the years has become a fantastic annual event. Thanks so much to Sarah Gabriel and others who worked so hard once again to create and deliver these cards!

Deadline For Holiday Cards for Home Veterans Is Dec. 14

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holiday cards, holidays, Volunteering

Its that time of year again! We are collecting handmade holiday cards for the residents of the Old Soldiers Home/ Armed Forces Retirement home here in DC. If you know an adult, office, child, daycare, or school that would be interested in making holiday cards to bring some joy to these individuals who have spent years or a lifetime in service to all of us, please spread the word and help us hand out a card to every retired soldier we can this holiday season. Last year we handed out over 700 hugely appreciated holiday cards from all over the country. The cards are delivered along with some hugs, singing and lots of holiday cheer.

I will be happy to pick up the cards you make or you may mail/ drop them at my home. The deadline for this small but meaningful way to help experience the joy of giving back in our own backyard is Friday, December 14th. In the event the number of cards exceeds the number of residents, all of the remaining art will be shipped to operation gratitude for placement in care packages of persons serving overseas. Please help spread the word and lets make this years card drive a success!

Thanks so much/ Happy Holidays.
Sarah Gabriel sarchance10(at)aol(dot)com

Work Off the Turkey With Two Great FOSH Volunteer Opportunities

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Volunteering

We all love our friends and relatives — and eating — but why not get out and move about right after Thanksgiving with TWO great volunteer opportunities with Friends of the Soldiers Home!!

First, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 5:30pm, Bowling Night! You’ll help residents who need assistance to bowl, but you’ll also do some rolling yourselves! Ages 14 and over are welcome.

Then Friday, Nov. 30, 5:15pm, dance to the U.S. Navy’s premier bluegrass ensemble, Country Current! Yes we want you to dance and have fun at this free event, but we also want you to help transport residents and serve some food and drinks. This one is for age 18 and older.

Both of these activities are FREE and FUN — a great way to glide into the holidays! Write Lori Lincoln and tell her you can come at volunteerfriendsofsoldiers(at)gmail(dot)com. She’ll tell you all the rest of what you need to know.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hot Outside, But Warm and Friendly Inside at August Happy Hour

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Happy Hour, Volunteering

Friends of the Soldiers Home had a great time Aug. 28 at this month’s version of Happy Hour at Armed Forces Retirement Home-DC. With our long-time partners the Nam Knights, we had a wonderful time. Volunteers appreciated that the joke telling and conviviality was happening in doors at the beautiful, air-conditioned Scott Building rather than outdoors in the 100-degree heat index!

Photos courtesy of Lori Lincoln.

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Gardening, Volunteering

Friends of the Soldiers Home volunteer gardeners recently had an opportunity to share the bounty of the gardens with residents of the Home. They brightened up the AFRH canteen and cafeteria with bouquets of fresh flowers grown by the volunteers. There are more flowers yet to bloom and more bouquets will be coming to the Home later this summer. Pictured below with some of the bouquets is volunteer gardener Susan Minnemeyer.

Photos courtesy of Sarah Clinehens.