Ways and Means report – January

Coins
Thank You to the 26 blue caps that answered the call of action to purchase the 100th Anniversary challenge coins during the Christmas season.

We have reduced the price of the non-numbered coins to $10 each. The Department has over 600 non-numbered challenge coins left to sell. There are over 664 numbered coins available for $30.00.

The Department’s website (caLegion.org) has a link to order challenge coins. The numbered coins will have a link for you to pick your number.

The Ways and Means Commission will be hosting a table at the Department Executive Committee (DEC) meeting in March for you to purchase challenge coins. Postage is $5 per coin when purchasing online.

Helmets for Heroes 
The campaign is picking up. A big thank you to Bill Bryant! Bill spent a weekend at a Gun Show promoting Helmets for Heroes. Look for his display at the DEC in Oceanside. Bill will be available to answer all your questions on how he has mastered convincing businesses to place these coin-collecting helmets in their store-fronts. Thank you to everyone who is working this valuable campaign. There are many that pick up the mission to promote Helmets for Heroes. It does make a difference. All proceeds go into the Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation (VA&R) Division to support our Department’s Veteran Service Officers Program.

Direct Mailings
Victory 360 is our Direct Mailing Campaign Company. All proceeds support

our Department’s Veteran Service Officers (VSO) program. If you are not receiving your mailings please email: cheryl@caLegion.org to get on the mailing list. Thank you to all who are supporting this endeavor. We still have not had more than 10% of our blue cap members donating to these mailing campaigns.

Please spread the word about why the direct campaign mailings are being sent to our blue caps. Our VSO budget depends on these donations to continue. The mission message must be told to every post member in order to succeed.

Calendar
Photos for the 2020-21 Calendar are due April 1. We need photos for the calendar campaign. The photos need to be at least 5 megapixels. Each photo should not have any markings on it. Please attach the following information on a separate sheet of paper: date, where and what was the event, who is in the photo, and the name of the person who took the photo. Send photos to: cheryl@caLegion.org. Victory 360 will be compiling the photos for our calendar.

Amazon Smile Program
This program has earned over another $100 in October for our VA&R Division budget that is only for our VSO program. We earned a half of a penny for every dollar spent at Amazon. This money will be transferred from the foundation into the VA&R Division. If you or family is not a member of the Amazon Smile program please create an account. You have to sign in through Smile.Amazon.com to shop for us to receive the donation. Once you have an Amazon account, log in and:

1.) Click “Accounts & Lists” at the top of browser
2.) Scroll down to “Other programs” section and click “Change your Amazon Smile charity”
3.)  Type in “The American Legion CA Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Foundation

You must always go through Smile.Amazon.com for your donation to be sent.

Fall Sweepstake Winners
1st  Prize Winner:  Donald Ozenbaugh Jr. – Post 1000
2nd Prize Winner:  Lawrence Walker – Post 360
3rd Prize Winner:  Pedro Trujilio – Post 83
4th Prize Winner:  Walter Sanchez – Post 837
5th Prize Winner:  Frankie Hernandez – Post 72
6th Prize Winner:  Dennis Covert – Post 201
7th Prize Winner:  John C. Ferber – Post 149
8th Prize Winner:  Wallace K. Crane – Post 108

Thank you to all who supported our direct mailing and sweepstakes campaigns. Together we are making a difference in a California veteran’s life and in their family’s as well. Your VSOs are here for you. They are only a phone call away.

It’s an honor to help our veterans. Thank you for the privilege to serve The American Legion Department of California on the Ways and Means Commission as Chair for 2019-20.