The origins of today’s VFW National Home can be traced to a 23-year-old woman named Amy Ross. In 1922, Ross made it her mission to help find jobs for the thousands of unemployed veterans in Detroit. THE BEGINNING News of Ross’ efforts reached cattleman Corey Spencer, who gifted 472 acres of land near Eaton Rapids, Michigan, to build on Ross’ vision of supporting veterans. On Jan. 7, 1925, the VFW National Home was founded, helping to fulfill the VFW pledge to "honor the dead by helping the living.” Later that spring, the Home welcomed its first family in an old frame farmhouse, Mrs. Pollett and her six children. Pollett had become suddenly widowed and lost her husband’s military pension. "Serving our Toto-ly Oz-Some Veterans” NC Department President’s Theme 2025-2026 It’s time to inspire our members and communities by telling our story through media. The Department of North Carolina has over 70 Auxiliaries united by the call to serve veterans and their families and promote patriotism in our communities. Whether your Auxiliary is large or small, you can use media to share your story and record its history. Media Media allows us an opportunity to share and brag about what Auxiliaries at all levels (local and District) are doing for our veterans, their families, and our communities. Many of our seasoned members utilize Facebook while many of our younger members prefer Instagram. So, what is stopping your Auxiliary from utilizing those two social media platforms? Did you know that those two platforms can "talk” to one another, and you can cross-post to both platforms by linking your two profiles together? There are other media outlets that can be utilized as well. ● Reach out to your members and friends using social media. Create an Auxiliary Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Pinterest. ● Use video! Videos are a great way to communicate; they are more visually engaging than written content and a great way to deliver information. ● Many of us have smartphones and it’s easy to record, upload and share videos on social media. Reels This year, National is focusing on Auxiliaries using and creating Reels to spread the word about our Programs and what you’re doing in your communities. I know you are asking yourself, "What the heck is a Reel?’ ● Reels are full-screen vertical videos up to 90 seconds long. They feature a suite of editing tools and audio tracks, as well as trending voice/sound snippets. Reels allow you to add captions, stickers and backgrounds; upload video clips; use a range of filters and loads m