By Connie Beesley
Veteran Family Network was created by Gulf War Veterans, Gerald Buckles and Steve Mostsinger, to help and benefit veterans and their families. The goal of VFN is to be an organization to unite and support all veterans, active duty military and their families.
VFN membership offers 500,000 product and service discounts in both local and national locations, and these excellent discounts will continue to grow as VFN grows. Also, we will be donating a portion of our net profits to veterans in need.
VFN will provide information and referral services:
- VFN works closely with 211/First Call for Help and Military One Source to provide information and referral services. In addition, on a case by case basis, VFN will provide unmet needs support.
- VFN works with mental health and substance abuse organizations to provide linkage to veterans and their families to address issues like PTSD, TBI Awareness, suicide prevention, depression and combat stress management.
For those of you affiliated with MWSA, VFN's quarterly magazine will provide another venue for telling the stories of our veterans and their families. It is so important that the stories of our nation's heroes be told over and over again so as never to be lost or forgotten. Our future generations need to know the real stories, the stories not told in school. Just recently I went to the movies with my 18-year-old granddaughter to see War Horse. She had to see the movie for credit in one of her classes. I’m afraid I'm not a “good movie viewer” in that during the film I pointed out to her some of the events that were indeed the type of things that actually did occur during war.
Years ago while watching a military movie about the first black Navy diver, our daughter asked, “Did that really happen?” Children today don’t realize that our military was very segregated at one point in our history. They don’t even realize that war was fought in a different manner with different weapons and that sometimes just getting to the battlefield was monumental. And for many, history is some boring subject you have to take in school. But our history is what has made us what we are today and it needs to be told. The VFN magazine will be telling these stories, and will also be a source of relevant information to veterans and our active duty military and their families.
Our January magazine will feature a story on the Tuskegee Airmen written by Pat Avery. She also tells the story of a WWII bomber crew man who felt great relief when he saw those Red Tails. Jack Meyers tells his story in his book,
Shot at and Missed. The issue will include Joyce Faulkner's
The Sons and Daughters of Iwo Jima. Because we all need a little humor, this magazine issue will be printing some of Lloyd King's cartoons. If you are interested in sharing or writing a story, please contact me
connie@vfnsales.com
Be sure to use the code word, MWSA, to receive a 10% discount off the VFN membership fee. By referring to MWSA, a portion of your membership fee will be given to MWSA as our way of showing thanks for its support of VFN.
Annual fees are $25, individual; $45, family; $50, affiliate. As a member you will be able to shop, save, chat and help veterans and families in need all at the same time. You will be automatically redirecting funds generated from your everyday purchases – and a portion of your membership fee – to veterans served by VFN.
