As we celebrate Veterans Day this year, we are asked to recommit ourselves to the Principal of “Patriotism“, the Principal of the Fourth Degree. The Order needs you, Sir Knights, and our Veterans need you!

Here’s a message from Thomas DuPree, North Carolina District VAVS Representative VA. “When our country needed them our veterans answered the call to serve. Now Members of the Knights of Columbus are being called to serve our veterans through our program: Serving Those Who Served.

Our goal is to have an active corp of Knights serving as Volunteers at EVERY Veteran’s Administration medical facility in the nation. We do this thru the VAVS Program- Veterans Affairs Volunteer Service. The VAVS is one of the largest volunteer programs in the Federal government.

There were 139,383 volunteers on the rolls during FY 2012, with 83,648 active VAVS volunteers contributing a total of 12,207,443 hours. The FY 2012 total VAVS hours equate to 5,869 full-time employee equivalent positions. The current monetary value of the 12,207,443 hours from all VAVS volunteers is over $266 million based on the 2011 Independent Sector’s formula of $21.79 per hour. VAVS volunteers and their organizations contributed over $87 million in gifts and donations in FY 2012 for a total value of $354.6 million in volunteer giving.

It is impossible to calculate the amount of caring and sharing that these VAVS volunteers provide to Veteran patients. VAVS volunteers are a priceless asset to the Nation’s Veterans and to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

QUESTION? Have you done your part in serving our Veterans? The possibilities are limited ONLY by the imagination and the needs of the veterans. PLEASE contact me for opportunities! Email me or call me at 919-577-6901.”