VFW At Work

1. Uniting for Veterans Marks Most Successful Year Since VFW-Humana Collaboration Began in 2018

   RENO, Nev. - The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Humana today announced the most successful year in the history of their joint veteran support initiative, Uniting for Veterans, which provided more than 1.6 million meals and 359 nights of housing support for veterans and military families during the 2025-2026 campaign year. The results were shared during the 127th VFW National Convention and mark the first full year under the program's expanded mission and new name.

   Formerly known as Uniting to Combat Hunger & Homelessness, the initiative evolved in 2025 to become Uniting for Veterans, reflecting a shared commitment to addressing the diverse and evolving needs of veterans, service members and their families. The expanded mission enables local communities to respond more flexibly to the challenges veterans face while continuing the program's longstanding work combating food insecurity and housing instability.

   During its first full year as Uniting for Veterans, the initiative generated:

   • 1,600,423 meals provided to veterans and military families
   • 359 nights of housing support for homeless veterans

   These results represent the strongest annual performance since the relationship was established in 2018 and reflect the collective efforts of VFW Posts, Auxiliaries, volunteers, Humana employees and community partners across the country.

   "When we expanded this initiative to become Uniting for Veterans, our goal was to give VFW Posts and Humana representatives the flexibility to meet veterans exactly where they are," said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore. "These record-breaking results prove just how powerful that localized approach is. Providing over 1.6 million meals and hundreds of nights of shelter in a single year is a testament to the unstoppable synergy between the VFW and Humana. We aren't just addressing critical needs; we are restoring dignity, building stronger communities and showing our veterans that we will always have their backs."

   The record-setting year demonstrates the impact of broadening the initiative's mission while remaining focused on issues that directly affect veterans and military families. While food insecurity and housing instability remain important priorities, Uniting for Veterans gives local communities the flexibility to respond to emerging needs and deliver support where it can make the biggest difference.

   Since launching in 2018, the program has provided 8 million meals, 684 nights of housing support, and has positively impacted nearly 20 million lives, helping strengthen local communities and improve the well-being of veterans and military families nationwide.

   "The success of our first full year as Uniting for Veterans demonstrates why this expanded mission was so important," said Cara Brown, National Director of Key Relationships at Humana. "By working together with the VFW and local communities, we're able to respond to veterans' changing needs and connect them with meaningful resources and support their individual needs."

   The initiative is rooted in the belief that health and well-being are influenced by more than healthcare alone. Access to nutritious food, stable housing, community support and trusted local resources all play important roles in helping veterans and military families thrive. Through Uniting for Veterans, the VFW and Humana work alongside communities across the country to help reduce barriers and connect veterans with the support they need.

   Since launching in 2018, the relationship has continued to evolve alongside the needs of America's veterans. The first full year of Uniting for Veterans represents an important milestone in that journey and reinforces both organizations' commitment to ensuring veterans and military families have access to the resources and support they need to live healthier, more secure lives.

   About Humana
   Humana (NYSE: HUM) is a leading U.S. healthcare company. Through our Humana insurance services and our CenterWell healthcare services, we strive to make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health - delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare and Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. Learn more about what we offer at Humana.com and at CenterWell.com.

2. Humana, CenterWell and USAA Unite with VFW for National Day of Service

   LOUISVILLE, Ky. -Humana Inc. and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), in collaboration with USAA, CenterWell and Volunteers of America (VOA), will bring together employees, veteran advocates and community partners on May 19 to support veterans experiencing homelessness.

   As part of the VFW's annual Day of Service, volunteers will unite in three different locations - Nashville, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; and Tampa, Florida - for hands-on service projects that deliver tangible support to veterans and seniors in need. Collectively, volunteers at the three locations will prepare 4,000 essential care kits to be distributed through trusted community partners.

   "Veterans deserve more than our gratitude. They deserve action, partnership and sustained support," said Cara Brown, Director of Key Relationships at Humana. "By joining forces in communities across the country, we're creating meaningful opportunities for our employees and partners to serve with purpose while delivering real, measurable impact for veterans in need."

   Three Cities, One Mission
   The Day of Service events, taking place at local CenterWell Senior Primary Care and Conviva Senior Primary Care centers, will include:

   • Nashville, Tennessee: Volunteers will assemble 2,000 care kits in support of Volunteers of America's street outreach efforts, helping individuals experiencing homelessness connect with person-centered case management, resource navigation and material support.
   • San Antonio, Texas: Volunteers will pack 1,000 toiletry kits for seniors, supporting dignity and daily health needs in a community with one of the nation's largest veteran populations.
   • Tampa, Florida: Volunteers will prepare 1,000 toiletry kits for local veterans experiencing housing insecurity, in partnership with community organizations serving the region's growing veteran population.

   "Our Day of Service projects reflect the heart of the VFW's mission - veterans helping veterans," said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore. "Our relationship with Humana, USAA and CenterWell demonstrates what's possible when organizations come together with shared values of honor, service and community to ensure no veteran is forgotten."

   Building Toward a National Impact Moment
   This year's collaboration marks a new partnership with Volunteers of America, ensuring service efforts are aligned with real-time community needs and reaching veterans and seniors most at risk. Together, the organizations aim to create momentum throughout the year - engaging local markets nationwide, strengthening relationships with local VFW Posts and its Auxiliaries, and inspiring continued involvement beyond a single day of service.

   "Our goal is not just a day of volunteering, but a sustained commitment," Brown added. "By working alongside VFW Posts, veteran advocates and organizations like Volunteers of America, we're helping build healthier futures for those who have served - today and for years to come."

   The 2026 Day of Service builds on the VFW's growing national movement of service. Since launching the Day of Service in 2022 as an extension of the VFW's Still Serving campaign, participation has expanded dramatically. In 2025 alone, more than 2,300 service events were held across the United States and internationally, underscoring the power of community-driven action.

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   About Humana
   Humana (NYSE: HUM) is a leading U.S. healthcare company. Through our Humana insurance services and our CenterWell healthcare services, we strive to make it easier for the millions of people we serve to achieve their best health - delivering the care and service they need, when they need it. These efforts are leading to a better quality of life for people with Medicare and Medicaid, families, individuals, military service personnel, and communities at large. Learn more about what we offer at Humana.com and at CenterWell.com.

3. 'When You Have Cancer You Think the Worst'

   Like so many of the men he served alongside, Norm Brown enlisted in the U.S. military to give back and do something meaningful. But unlike most of them, he was not an American. Brown, 83, is from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

   "When we got out of high school in 1961, me and my two friends were interested in joining the Marines," he said. "Their parents intervened, so they didn't end up doing it, but I went over to New York and enlisted."

   When asked if he was bothered by his friends backing out or whether he had reservations about serving and sacrificing for a country other than his own, Brown said: "No, the relationship between our two countries was fantastic. To me, it was the right thing to do."

   As it turned out, when Brown arrived at boot camp at Parris Island in South Carolina, he met two other Canadian recruits. The three built a special bond before shipping out to their next destinations.

   Brown went on to serve for three years, including a deployment to Vietnam. Afterward, he returned to Canada, where he married Linda, who is now his wife of 54 years.

   Condition Takes a Turn for the Worse

   Decades passed without issue, until 2011, when Brown was diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a benign blood disorder that can lead to different cancers.

   His doctors suggested the "watch and wait" approach. Brown completed bloodwork every six months to ensure his condition had not progressed. But in 2019, it did. A biopsy revealed Brown had a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM).

   Brown underwent chemotherapy and is managing his cancer today. A couple of years ago, he remembered reading about the PACT Act and discovering that WM was now considered a presumptive condition.

   Brown contacted the VA to see if he could receive compensation, but he struggled to verify his service records.

   "I couldn't get them to prove I had been in Vietnam," he said. "I have the service medals that I could have earned only there, but it didn't seem to matter."

   Eventually, someone suggested Brown reach out to the VFW for help.

   "So," he explained, "I contacted them. Fortunate for me, I got a call back from Norm Machelor. Once he got involved, everything moved quite smoothly."

   'I'm Not Sure I Ever Would Have Been Able to Do It on My Own'

   Machelor, a VFW Accredited Service Officer, worked with the VA to confirm Brown's service in Vietnam. He then helped Brown arrange the necessary doctor's appointments before completing his claim.

   "It had been quite frustrating trying to get all the information myself. I'm not sure I ever would have been able to do it on my own," Brown said. "But before long, I got the letter in the mail saying that my claim was accepted, and I was going to get compensation."

   Brown's service history as a Canadian may be unique, but he knows his experience with the VA is not. He encourages other veterans to work with a VFW Accredited Service Officer like Machelor.

   "When someone tells you that you have cancer, obviously, you think the worst right away. But with the support I've gotten from Norm and the VFW, I feel good," he said.

   "With Norm's great assistance, it all worked out. I'm very, very fortunate. If you have any kind of issue like mine, contact the VFW for help."

   Learn more about the VFW's National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

4. Honoring Vietnam Veterans

   On March 27, VFW Post 1647 in Brainerd, Minnesota, hosted its fifth annual Vietnam Veterans Day Celebration. There was standing room only at dinner, as more than 100 Vietnam veterans and their significant others came for the camaraderie and free refreshments.

   The local Daughters of the American Revolution served apple pie and ice cream, while the Post provided dinner.

   Vietnam veterans are often distinguished from veterans due to the combination of societal hostility, isolation during their return, and the unprecedented psychological toll of an unconventional conflict.

   Unlike the "Greatest Generation" of World War II, who returned to a unified nation celebrating victory, Vietnam veterans returned to a country deeply divided over the war's morality and its conclusion. Many vets feel that the Vietnam War was a withdrawal of U.S. forces due entirely to political decisions based on citizen opposition and unrest, not to the failure of our military.

   Due to the negative public perception, many veterans suppressed their experiences for decades, avoiding treatment and feeling like outsiders even within traditional veteran organizations.

   One Vietnam vet in attendance was Buford Johnson. He was sent to Vietnam as an ROTC officer at his own request in 1964 and retired in 1986 as a Lt. Colonel in the Army Reserve.

   Johnson served as an advisor to the Vietnamese combat unit in Vietnam's Central Highlands and often came under enemy fire. He recounted how a severely wounded soldier survived after he and a helicopter pilot heroically made a landing to rescue the soldier and fly him to safety.

   Johnson came back to the States, wounded, and spent some time in an Army hospital. He was then assigned to Fort Benning, Gorgia. When asked how he felt now about his wartime experience, he responded, "It gave me a better understanding of human nature."

   Another vet attending the celebration was Brainerd resident, Ron Schrimshaw, who was drafted and sent to Vietnam at age 20.

   Scrimshaw repaired helicopter armament systems. He served in Pleiku as an E4 and returned home after serving there a year. When asked if his war experience made him a bitter or better man, he responded, "bitter."

   When he returned home, Scrimshaw's family was very supportive, but he felt rejected by the community. His biggest rejection was from the WWII veterans at the local American Legion who did not want him as a member.

   The VFW leadership collaborates with government officials in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in Washington, D.C., to advocate for legislation that supports veterans in their struggle to regain and maintain a healthy lifestyle as they transition back to civilian life.

   This article is featured in the 2026 April issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.

   Edited for length and style, this article was written by VFW Post 1647 Auxiliary member Sue Sterling.

5. 'There's a Community Behind Us'

   If Ekow Aidoo, 40, could give his fellow veterans one piece of advice, it would be this: "Don't wait for the 'perfect time.'"

   Instead, Aidoo believes in taking action to set yourself up for success, just as he did when he joined the military to build better skills and habits.

   "I wanted a purposeful career grounded in discipline and service," he said.

   After serving in the Army National Guard and Air Force, Aidoo learned about the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship." Recognizing it as another opportunity to better himself, Aidoo applied. He is grateful for the financial assistance.

   "To everyone who made this scholarship possible," Aidoo said, "thank you for investing in my growth and for believing in veterans' potential to keep serving our communities and our country."

   Aidoo is pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree in information technology management. He explained that receiving the scholarship provided a sense of support and encouragement because it meant that others believed in him. He wants to motivate other veterans in the same way.

   "Use the discipline you gained in service to push through the challenges of school. Take advantage of the benefits you've earned, ask for help and stay consistent. Education opens doors long after the uniform comes off."

   Aidoo acknowledges that going to school can be difficult. But he insists that veterans are equipped to succeed.

   "If there's one thing that other veterans take from my story, I hope it's that it's never too late to grow or start something new. The military taught us resilience, adaptability and how to learn under pressure. Those skills translate directly to your education," he said.

   "I'm still trying to balance service, family and school, but opportunities like this scholarship remind me that I'm not doing it alone. There's a community behind us that believes in our potential."

   Learn more about the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship."