VFW At Work

1. Arts and Crafts Day

   On Feb. 11, members of VFW Post 8692 in Albany, New York, hosted their first arts and crafts day for local VA patients suffering from PTSD.

   The event welcomed more than 15 veterans and their social workers from the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center to paint birdhouses and American stars, followed by lunch prepared by the Post and its Auxiliary members.

   "Arts and crafts give PTSD patients a non-verbal outlet to process trauma and reduce anxiety," said Post Quartermaster and Department of New York Surgeon Jim Haas. "It is a great way to calm their minds and help them relax."

   Haas added that the Post plans to incorporate the event into its annual routine, scheduling an arts and crafts day once per quarter. It would align with other monthly events Post 8692 conducts alongside the Albany Stratton VA Medical Center.

   For years, Post 8692 members have cooked breakfast and delivered it to VA patients with PTSD on the second Tuesday of the month. They have also conducted fundraisers and drives to collect clothes and other items for the veterans.

   "We do this for many reasons, but one of them is to give patients the opportunity to socialize with other veterans outside the hospital," Haas said. "It also gives them the feeling of not being forgotten."

   This article is featured in the 2026 March 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.

2. 'I Wanted to Fight for Veterans'

   "Helping veterans isn't a job for me - it's a calling," said Jessica King, 45.

   After serving four years of active duty and a few years in the Reserve, Marine Corps veteran King was denied her own benefits for a decade. She was determined not to let that happen to her fellow service members.

   "A VFW Accredited Service Officer helped me finally get my benefits," she said. "I wanted to fight for veterans like she did for me."

   In 2022, King made good on her pledge by becoming a VFW Accredited Service Officer.

   "I manage and train approximately 35 other VFW Accredited Service Officers and train VFW Post benefits advisors so they can help at the Post and District levels," King said. "My greatest accomplishment is creating an amazing, passionate team that fights every day for our service members, veterans and their loved ones."

   During a typical week, King fields calls and emails from both her clients and other VFW staff, researches VA laws and attends meetings and training sessions to stay informed. Whatever a new day brings, King knows she is in the right place.

   "Every time I sit across from a veteran or a surviving spouse who's overwhelmed, confused or just tired from fighting battles they shouldn't have to fight, something in me switches on," she said. "I feel responsible, honored and grounded in my purpose."

   King is proud of what her team has accomplished for their clients, including helping one individual receive retroactive compensation dating back to 2015 and assisting another veteran experiencing homelessness in securing money to pay rent.

   "Watching the stress lift off a client's shoulders and hearing them say, 'Thank you, I didn't think anyone cared,' gets me every time," King said. "These are the moments that remind us why our work matters and why we do what we do.

   "Even on the hard days, even when the system is frustrating, even when we're tired, VFW Accredited Service Officers change the lives of veterans and their families every single day."

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

3. 'Don't Go Through What I Did - Go to the VFW'

   "I should be the poster boy for Agent Orange," Michael Lindop often joked.

   After serving in Vietnam, Lindop suffered from a laundry list of illnesses. But that did not diminish his pride or love for the Marines.

   "Like they say, 'Once a Marine, always a Marine,'" said his widow, Franchesca. "Michael enlisted with the Marines because they were the toughest, and he wanted to be part of that. He loved it."

   So, when Michael began experiencing symptoms related to Agent Orange exposure in 2007, Franchesca explained, "It was a tragedy, but he never complained about it. He was just very proud to be a Marine."

   Michael's service-connected conditions included diabetes, dementia and several cardiac problems that eventually required open-heart surgery.

   Then he suffered a severe stroke that left him disabled. Franchesca cared for him for a few years, but when it became too much, Michael moved into a veterans home.

   "It was a great facility, but he rapidly deteriorated earlier this year as his dementia worsened," Franchesca said. "He couldn't remember people and was unable to get out of bed. I was shocked that it took him so quickly. I didn't know what to do."

   Franchesca tried to contact a veterans organization for assistance, but every phone number she was given was a dead end. That was until she inexplicably reached VFW Accredited Service Officer Michael Jackson in Everett, Washington.

   "I don't know how I got his number. Even though I was led to him by accident, Michael's the one who helped me," Franchesca said. "I feel like I owe him my life."

   After switching Franchesca's VA representation to the VFW, Jackson quickly set out to secure Michael's benefits on her behalf.

   "My husband was 100% disabled, so Michael was able to get me the highest benefit, which meant I could keep my medical coverage and had the funds to pay rent," Franchesca said.

   "I just feel very grateful that he took the initiative to help me. Otherwise, I'd probably still be lost in the system somewhere."

   Franchesca urges other spouses to contact the VFW in their area and have their questions ready for their VFW Accredited Service Officer - who, she hopes, is as helpful as Jackson was for her.

   "I had felt so lost, I almost cried when I met Michael. He was just so kind and was almost like a son to me," Franchesca said.

   "Don't go through what I did. Go straight to the VFW. Michael was a lifesaver for someone like me who had no idea where to go. I was just so lucky to find him."

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

4. 'I Can Spend Time With My Daughter Before Hitting the Books'

   Miguel Rodriguez, 37, served in the Navy for eight years. He had several reasons for enlisting.

   "A strong desire to give back has always dwelled inside me, especially after 9/11," he said. "On top of that, the costs of attending college made me realize joining the military was the best thing for me."

   Today, Rodriguez lives in Clifton, New Jersey, with his wife, Puja Rana, and their daughter, Mia. He learned about the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship" while searching online for aid. Another veteran shared how much the assistance helped them, and Rodriguez decided to apply.

   "Words cannot express how thankful I am to be given the opportunity to pursue a higher education," he said. "Rather than taking up small jobs after a day of work so that I can save up to go back to school, this scholarship makes it so I can pick up my daughter from daycare and spend time with her before hitting the books."

   As a student at DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management, Rodriguez is pursuing a master's degree in business administration. He hopes to build a career in project management, IT project management and/or product management.

   "Throughout my previous work as well as my personal life, I've found myself coordinating and communicating with various people to get things done," he said. "I enjoy facing challenges and finding the most effective solution to reach a shared goal."

   Rodriguez hopes other veterans push themselves to discover and pursue their own interests by taking advantage of the kind of resources that have supported him.

   "Put in the time and make sure to do the research. Don't let people tell you help is not out there.

   "Without the VFW's support for veterans," he continued, "I would not have had the chance to further my career - at least not without taking on a heavy financial burden. Thank you!"

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

5. 'An Opportunity to Catch My Breath'

   Jane Smith* served for four years in the military. She began attending college while she was still enlisted to get her degree quicker and is now enrolled at California State University, Northridge.

   Smith's life changed after she discovered the VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship" during a Google search for scholarships for veterans. She thanks everyone who made this opportunity possible.

   "Living in an inflated economy isn't easy, and doing laps in the revolving door of poverty while trying to get ahead to make something of yourself is exhausting," she said.

   Smith encourages other veterans to utilize the GI Bill and to ask their guidance counselors plenty of questions. She says that campus veterans resource centers can also be helpful by allowing students to connect with other enrolled veterans. Even just a phone call, or several, can move students in the right direction.

   "If it's so overwhelming that you feel stuck, get on the phone. Keep calling until you find that person who holds the key to the information. They will help you get through some of the noise," Smith said.

   Smith studies cinema and television arts and hopes to work in directing or producing. She considers herself a creative with a knack for organization and management.

   "Without the scholarship, I couldn't afford even one class," Smith said. "It provides relief while achieving my educational goals by giving me an opportunity to catch my breath."

   *Not her real name. She prefers to remain anonymous.

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