I’m not certain if the past year reminds me of a carnival Ferris wheel or an amusement park roller coaster. On the one hand, living with the pandemic and all of the seemingly daily updates make me feel like I’m going around and around in circles. On the other hand, it reminds me of the ups, downs, curves, twists, and turns of an amusement park roller coaster. I’m just not clear. Is there a hybrid of a combination of the two that I’m unaware of? If so, let me know so I can stay away. What a ride the pandemic has been! This crazy ride and its ups and downs and twist and turns have weighed heavy on all of our hearts and souls. Yes, the pandemic has tired and worn us down, but it has not beaten our resolve and our indomitable American spirit. Showcasing their indomitable American Spirit, our Early Education staff worked hard to re-open our EEC doors on March 8th. Our kids are happy to be back, and I am confident the parents don’t mind either! Our campus was a buzz as the Easter bunny made an appearance, much to the delight of kids and parents alike. Our good friends, the Ohio Cooties, seem to have an “in” with the celebrated bunny as whenever the bunny appears on our campus, so do the Ohio Cooties! What spirit they bring! Our residents and our staff display their resolve in spirit every day as we work together in building a more optimistic future for our veteran families. They, and we, have resolved to make life better for all of those we come in contact with. Your generosity of continued support of our mission is itself the definition of the indomitable American Spirit. You believe in what we do and why we do it. You fuel our spirit to continue to do the right thing for all of the right reasons. Our American Spirit is alive and well here at the VFW National Home for Children because of you. Through your actions, you have lifted the spirits of those we serve and changed the lives of so many families and children. We will continue our resolve to make life a better place for all we encounter because of you.

Thank you.