Event will take place Oct. 22 during Buddy Check Week and will include American Legion Be the One Chairman Waco Hoover.
During the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ second annual Veteran Buddy Check Week, The American Legion will join others in a Veteran Buddy Check Summit hosted by VA and the American Red Cross. The event will take place Oct. 22 at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Register to attend by Oct. 16 here: https://tfaforms.com/5134222.
VA’s Veteran Buddy Check Week takes place Oct. 21-25 and encourages veterans to talk to 10 veteran friends and families to check in, connect with peers and increase access to VA and community resources. VA is asking veterans to take the Buddy Check Pledge here.
The American Legion started its own Buddy Check program in 2019. In the five years since then, well over 1 million veterans have been contacted by their fellow Legionnaires.
The Oct. 22 Buddy Check Summit will include a town hall with VA leadership and presentations from various organizations that include The American Legion, George W. Bush Institute, Vets4Warriors, and TAPS. Waco Hoover, The American Legion’s Be the One chairman, will represent the Legion at the event, which will share organizations’ peer support and buddy check resources. Also taking part in the town hall will be the Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Services, American Corporate Partners and Small Business Administration.
The event will take place from 9-11:10 a.m. at the American Red Cross, 430 17th Street NW. A veteran coffee social will follow until 12:30 p.m. The event also will be live-streamed here.
For American Legion Family members taking part in Buddy Check weeks or performing Buddy Checks at any time, here are some resources to assist those efforts:
· A Buddy Check Toolkit that explains the program, provides steps to conducting a successful Buddy Check, gives sample scripts and more.
· A Buddy Check doorhanger that is printer-friendly and can be customized as a leave-behind when Legion Family members visit a veteran who is not a home.
· Additional resources, including a media advisory and suggested press release.
If American Legion posts, districts or departments are planning a Buddy Check event, please remember to share your stories and photos from the event in the Buddy Check section of Legiontown.
- Buddy Check