News & Events

Here in Michigan, there is nothing like the onset of spring. The snow is gone, and the trees and plants are preparing for their coming out party, showing a bloom for the new season. Springtime is indeed the Earth rebranding itself. Spring, the time of year Major League baseball teams are filled with optimism that this will be the year they will make the World Series. The daylight grows longer with each passing…

Valentine’s Day. The day that is designated to express your love and devotion to the one(s) you love. Whenever this day comes around every February 14th, it takes me back to grade school. It is the one day out of the year when a young person can express their interest in another with anticipation of reciprocation. The old “Be My Valentine” card was always ambiguous enough to hopefully gain a positive response. As …

My dear friend, I owe you the sincerest of apologies. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the past holiday season, the excitement of 2020 ending and the birth of the year 2021, I forgot, just as unbelievable as it seems, flat forgot, your Birthday. Yes, on January 7th you turned 96 years old. How could anyone forget that? Well, I did and I am sorry. As you know, you and I have known each other a long time. It was a s…

As I sit here attempting to share with you my reflections of the year 2020, my first instinct was to type the word “YUCK”. I suspect that my instinctive reaction to the year 2020 is consistent with most of yours as well. It’s clearly been a turbulent, chaotic and dark year for us all. One to forget, but likely always memorable. Now that all my negative thoughts have drained through my fingertips and on to this pa…

Executive Secretary Lynn Bloomer knows a thing or two about being flexible. She brings that skill with her into her work and her marriage. He husband Don serves in the Army, working for the Department of Defense as well as the Michigan National Guard, so she’s used to the last minute changes in schedule, time spent keeping down the Homefront during deployments, and memorizing the alphabet soup of acronyms and what…

National Home Case Manager, Tammy grew up in a veteran family. Her father, who served two years in the Army, and her uncle, who served two years in the Marine Corps, were both role models to her growing up. She knew she wanted to be a part of the military somehow, so she joined the Army National Guard while she was in college. “Being a Veteran myself gives me a greater understanding when working with other Veteran…

For Eric Reichstetter, joining the maintenance department at the VFW National Home for Children felt a lot like coming home, because as a child, he lived at the National Home with his mother, two sisters, and brother. Growing up, Eric’s uncle, an Army veteran, was a strong mentor and father figure for him, and due to his influence, Eric decided early on that he was going to join the Army. He spent four years activ…

So it’s November, the time of falling leaves, football, and family gatherings. Boy, it got here fast, didn’t it? Not only fast but with a serious and long-lasting speed bump (Covid-19). As this speed bump did not stop the leaves from falling, it did slow down and change the football season and certainly will inhibit in many households family gatherings. As Covid-19 didn’t stop the leaves from falling, it certainly…

When Chris Ellis was nearing the end of his contract with the United States Marine Corps, he began working with a recruiter to line up a job as he transitioned to civilian life. Before he even left service, he had three job offers, one of them being the VFW National Home for Children. The opportunity to continue working within the veteran community ultimately led to Chris accepting the offer to come work as the Sy…

On behalf of our community of veterans, their families, our Board of Trustees and our staff here at the VFW National Home for Children, I welcome you to what is the 4th quarter of the year 2020. Although the first three quarters of this year have been confusing, chaotic and somber for our nation, your generosity and support over these past months has brightened our hearts and spirits as we enter into the fourth qu…