Salvo- January 2021
Original Document (with images)
COMMANDERS CORNER
MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
I wish all of you, our members and your families, a very happy and safe holiday season. Thank you for your support of each other, our post, and the American Legion!
We continue our planning for our NO Crab Crab Feed Silent Virtual Auction. We have received a significant number of donations for the auction as well as our first two sponsors for the event: ACE Hardware and Arakelian Wealth Management. We are still looking for volunteers to assist in several of the aspects of putting on the Auction such as Marketing, Volunteer Coordination, Item Management, or Checkout / Item Distribution. We have leaders for each of these subcommittees, so contacts us and let us know where you can best contribute.
We are on our third round of “Buddy Calls” and we are concentrating on those of you who we have not been able to reach yet. We still want to say hi to Robert Denison, Frank Drayton, William House, Sally Malone, Dr. Conrad Rougeux, Lee Sarty, William Shewry, Bob Wattles, Kenneth Winters, and Richard Zaslove. We want to make sure you are doing well and ask if you need any assistance. If we have left you a voice mail, please consider giving us a call back and checking in. You support our post, and we are here to support you. The most important aspect of all of these “Buddy Calls”, we have found all of you doing well and staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. The vaccines are coming; that said, keep wear a mask and social distance. Let us do our part and wear them in any public setting.
After many hurdles we faced due to Covid restrictions, we will have a Wreaths Across America and lay wreaths on all our veterans’ graves who have passed and are buried at the Alamo Cemetery. It will be a very scaled down event compared to past years, but we pay honor to those 220 plus resting there. I want to personally thank our members, other veterans and family who turned out to help us make the event possible. Thanks to Gary Soto for helping spearhead getting this done and Alan Scharlach in advance for covering the wreath removal. I also want to say a very big thank you to our delivery unloading crew Gary Soto, Bob Sada, Lorrie Sammons (member & Navy Nurse Corps) and her husband Tim.
Post 246 donated $500 to the 2.2 for 22 Walk for Vets Virtual Challenge fundraiser sponsored by Las Positas College Student Veterans in collaboration with Pleasanton Military Families. LPC Student Veterans raised a total of $10,919 from 131 donors, including American Legion District 9 which donated $250. Funds raised will help bring mental health professionals to Las Positas College to support mental health services for student veterans, to stop suicide amongst veterans, and to fund support services provided by Pleasanton Military Families.
Michelle Lee and her family led the Heart Guards team in the Vets Virtual Challenge. The team was a leader based on results and participation in the Challenge. Congratulations to Michelle and the Heart Guards!
We have now reached 85% of members renewed as of 12/8/20! That’s 131 members that continue support of our post and the Legion. Thank you!! Remember our goal is 100% by 31 December! Please renew online or send us a check for your dues.
Our Boy Scouts are looking for Eagle Scout projects, especially for ones that support veterans. If you have ideas, contact Alan Scharlach directly, 829-9407.
Be sure to see our new website at www.americanlegionpost246.org. Check it out!!
Stay safe and wear your masks!!!
Eric, Commander
UPCOMING EVENTS
**** Every Saturday 9 to 12 Coffee at the Vets Hall **** Still on hold
December 12th, Saturday Zoom Executive Committee meeting, 8:30 am
December 19th, Saturday Wreaths Across America, Alamo Cemetery. 10:00 am
December 25th, Friday Christmas Day
January 1st, Friday New Year’s Day
January 6th, Wednesday Zoom meeting with speaker, 12:00 pm
January 16th, Saturday Zoom Executive Committee meeting, 8:30 am
January (TBD) Post Oratorical Contest
January 24th to 31th, Sunday to Sunday No Crab Crab Feed Auction Fundraiser February 3rd, Wednesday Regular meeting with speaker, 12:00 pm TBD
February 20th, Saturday Executive Committee meeting, 8:30 am
March 3rd, Wednesday Regular meeting with speaker, 12:00 pm TBD
March 20th, Saturday Executive Committee meeting, 8:30 am
April 7th, Wednesday Regular meeting with speaker, 12:00 pm TBD
Nominations for Officers/Exec Committee
April 17th, Saturday Executive Committee meeting, 8:30 am
May 5th, Wednesday Regular meeting with speaker, 12:00 pm TBD
Election of Officers/Exec Committee
May 15th, Saturday Executive Committee meeting, 8:30 am
THE NO CRAB CRAB FEED ONLINE AUCTION EVENT
We are now deep into planning and creating our auction site. We have received numerous donations from our members and local businesses for the auction. We also have two sponsors so far for the event:
https://www.awmfs.com/ https://alamohardware.com/
Always nice if you patronize our sponsors and donors.
We are still looking for donations and sponsors, so if you have ideas give us a call.
Our auction committee consists of:
⦁ Mark Heinemann (Volunteer Coordination)
⦁ Bob Landy (Marketing)
⦁ Eric Ardell/Michelle Lee (Item Management)
⦁ Alan Scharlach (Checkout / Item Distribution)
Contact them if you want to help make our auction a success.
The Auction Committee needs the following volunteers to assist the bidding process:
1) Auction Website Monitors: Eight (8) – will require monitoring the auction website for periods of time during the week the auction is live.
2) Winning Bid Pickup / Mailout Coordinators: Three (3) – will assist checking winner ID, hand deliver or mail out item to winner
3) Credit Card Payment Coordinators: Two (2) – will conduct credit card transaction for winners paying at pickup time.
CUB SCOUT POPCORN SALES – Still time to buy & support our Cubs!!
1. Go to Online Store: https://www.trails-end.com/store/scout/BK8FDLT1 Your order will go to PACK997. Popcorn will ship within a week.
2. You can also email also pack997.sanramon@gmail.com for pack 995 and they can start an online order for you via email/phone. They can text you a link to enter credit card and address info and the products will be shipped to you same as Online Order.
Update - VA Northern California Health Care System
VA Northern California Health Care System facilities in Fairfield, Mare Island, Martinez, and Oakland are open and operating as usual. If you're planning to visit a facility, please visit www.northerncalifornia.va.gov/patients/prepare.asp.
⦁ Veterans who require immediate urgent care can contact our call center at 1-800-382-VETS for 24/7 support. This service is not emergency services.
⦁ If you are a Veteran in crisis, there are specially trained responders ready to help you, 24/7 365 days a year by calling 800-273-8255 and Press 1.
⦁ Sign-up for automatic email updates by filling in your email address in the “Emergency Email Updates” section.
⦁ For up-to-date information about VA NorCal, please check this page, the ⦁ VA Northern California Health Care System's Facebook page
AMERICAN LEGION BASIC TRAINING COURSE
Learn about the American Legion in this self-paced online course; go to https://www.legion.org/alei.
SUPPORT FOR COAST GUARD CUTTER USGC BERTHOLF
In June 2020 we approved a donation to the Welfare and Rec fund of the cutter Bertholf during deployment to support the crew. We received this Thank You card.
Veterans Service Office
Welcome to the Veterans Service Office where we help local veterans, and their families obtain veteran benefits from federal, state and local agencies.
***Notice To All Visitors and Veterans***
All Of Our Office Lobbies Are Currently Closed For Public Safety
We still look forward to serving Veterans and their families. Veteran Service Representatives are currently working from home and ready to help.
Please email Veterans@vs.cccounty.us for assistance!
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A Veterans Service Representative can assist you virtually. We are available Monday thru Thursday 9am – 12pm & 1pm – 4pm,
and Fridays 9am – 12pm.
***Please Note: We are not open online beyond these hours***
Join the Zoom Meeting by clicking on this link
CVSO Virtual Office
Or connect to our virtual office at: (669) 900 9128 Meeting ID: 979 2501 6051
POST PHOTOGRAPHER
Like to take pictures with an iPhone or camera? We need YOU!! We are looking for a post photographer(s) to help capture pictures and videos of our post activities.
There is a requirement to attend many our functions, etc. Please give me a call.
Flag & Emblem Store
The post now has a Tax-Free account with the Flag & Emblem Store. Alan Scharlach is our post “Supply Officer” and is available to order items for individual post members. Go to https://emblem.legion.org/ to do your shopping; then email Alan with the item number, quantity, color, and any other item details needed to purchase the item you want.
TOWN OF DANVILLE
The Town of Danville website contains links to notices, alerts, news flash, calendar, etc. about all things Danville: http://www.danville.ca.gov/list.aspx
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Politicians should wear sponsor jackets like Nascar drivers, then we know who owns them."
--
Robin Williams
POST OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Post Website: www.americanlegionpost246.org Post Webmaster: Rusty Orvik
Salvo Editor: Eric Ardell
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 133, Danville, CA 94526 Message Center: (925) 277-7775
Keep saving your pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters for Helmut for Heroes at a future live meeting!
