group, meeting wherever people would open their doors to them, usually in restaurants. T e Post and Auxiliary are there for veterans, Elsa


residents and surrounding communities. When they heard about a veteran and his wife


who lost everything to a fi re, including family pets, they rallied to get the couple settled into another two-bedroom mobile home by raising funds to purchase and furnish it. T ey also helped clean up the site of the fi re. Post and Auxiliary members volunteer every


month at the local food bank, host “Buddy”® Poppy drives and are a part of any event in their community that supports patriotism and Americanism, including participating in town parades, recognition of patriotic holidays and more. At the time this article was written, a


5K Freedom Run in conjunction with the city was in the works. “We visit veterans in nursing


★


homes and hospitals and have rallies to name new schools after veterans who have given their lives to defend our country,” Perez said. “We adopt families in need during Christmas and distribute turkeys over T anksgiving. We have a very active Honor Guard, we cover military funerals, serving four counties and further if requested. We also help veterans in need fund medicines not covered through the VA or insurance, and we help pay utilities for those going through a hard time.” T e women and men of Post and Auxiliary 7473


are also active with three diff erent school districts to promote Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen scholarship contests. “T e Auxiliary gives me a connection to my sister


at a level I could not have otherwise,” Collins said. “Even though we were born together and shared


almost everything, the military is the only thing we did not have in common. Although my son served and I am very patriotic, I did not have that connection until I joined the Auxiliary. I have met amazing men and women who give unselfi shly of themselves, and I have made these friends for life.” For Perez, the VFW and Auxiliary have been


invaluable resources. After returning from serving overseas with service-related injury and Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder, the Post became a safe haven. “When I left the military after serving in a war,


it was very hard to reconnect,” she said. “I had trouble adjusting to home life and I never talked to anyone about my experiences. To me, it was something my family and friends wouldn’t understand. I decided to see if (the Post) was a place for me. It was a place where I could talk to others who had gone through similar things. I could feel comfortable. I could get answers and learn how veterans before me dealt with their issues.” Dedicating herself


to the mission of the Post and Auxiliary is what Perez does full-time. “I enjoy helping other


veterans, especially those who are looking for help,” she


said. “It makes me feel better about myself – I don’t feel disabled. I can


make a diff erence! It means the world to me to see where the fruits of our labor get us.” AC


Opposite page: Twin sisters Lupita M. Perez (left) and Juanita M. Collins (right) work together to help veterans. Above: Perez helped a mother outside Baghdad, Iraq, by holding her child while she picked up school supplies (provided by the U.S. military) for her older son.


★ January 2016 | 11


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