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AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Visit Mart Youth

On Saturday, September 26th, the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary visited the Mart facility, and delivered an “Americanism” presentation to a select group of youth. The purpose of the Saturday Enhancement Activities are to provide opportunities for youth to learn and participate in activities that will help to enhance career development, employability skills, self-sufficiency, family reintegration and self-advocacy. These activities also provide positive behavior incentives for youth, and aid in population management on the weekends.

AMVETS is a volunteer organization made up entirely of veterans.  They were the first World War II organization to be chartered by Congress.  President Harry S. Truman signed Public Law 216 chartering AMERICAN VETERANS WORLD WAR II on December 10, 1944.  The local chapters of the AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary work in five main areas of service:  Scholarship, Hospital, Child Welfare, Community Service, and of course Americanism.  Each local Auxiliary completes independent projects for their community as well as participating in projects for their State Level and National Auxiliaries.

During their visit with Mart youth, AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary members spent a several hours teaching the youth how to tie blankets which had been purchased and cut by the Auxiliary members.  The blankets will be given to hospitalized veterans at the Temple Veterans Affairs hospital who require the use of wheelchairs.  The veterans will use the blankets to cover their legs and keep warm this winter and will appreciate that the youth volunteered their time to help make someone else more comfortable.

The Auxiliary 76 ladies will be back at Mart again during the Christmas holiday season, hosting one or more of the facility’s Christmas parties. They also plan to bring their “Americanism” program to more Mart youth in February showing the young men what the veterans did for our country. The Auxiliary 76 ladies greatly enjoyed working with TJJD youth and learned as much from the youth as the youth learned from them.

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