The new Voluntary Services Coordinator for the Ohio Veterans Home (OVH) in Georgetown, Mr. Vance Holbrook, addressed the members of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter #63 (Clermont County) at their February monthly meeting.

Although he has been the Voluntary Services Coordinator for only a few weeks, Mr. Holbrook shared his early accomplishments, developing new programs and his overall vision of the Veterans Home’s activities to the DAV Chapter #63 members.

Coordinator Holbrook decided to tackle the first opportunity he witnessed and that was of the closed Veterans Gift Store. The Gift Store was closed for lack of volunteers to staff the facility. Through Coordinator Holbrook’s outreach for volunteers, the Gift Store is now staffed four (4) days a week.

“I’m still looking for one (1) more volunteer so we can have the Veterans Gift Store staffed five (5) days a week,” said the coordinator. “The veterans really like a place where they can buy candy, soda or snacks and the veterans really like to talk to the volunteer staff manning the Store.”

Another Program that Mr. Holbrook wants to jump-start is the Plastic Model Craft Program, primarily for model assembly and model painting.

He observed that most plastic models from cars, military vehicles, airplanes to ships contained many small, tiny, and delicate pieces that were very difficult for elderly veterans to assemble or paint.

The new Coordinator was aware that design models currently were on the internet that contained large parts that could be created on a 3-D printer with plastic spools.

He had an older model of a 3-D printer that he had used prior to the OVH assignment, but it was very slow in creating the large plastic parts.

However, the Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS) had agreed to purchase a larger model of the 3-D printer, which will be increasingly faster in manufacturing the plastic parts.

The newer high-speed 3-D printer will be capable of generating new interest for the Craft Program and have more veterans interested in model kit assemblies and painting of the models.

Another project that Coordinator Holbrook is considering is a version of an Adopt-A-Vet Program, that has been highly successful at other Veterans Homes throughout the United States. Although Mr. Holbrook is still crafting the details of the program, he envisions individuals and families sponsoring certain veterans at the Home.

These veterans have no families or relatives to visit with them on holidays or anytime during the year. The sponsoring individuals and families would be aligned with a specific veteran and would visit with the veteran during the year.

Mr. Holbrook told the DAV audience that recently a veteran was dropped off at the Home with just the clothes on his back. The driver, a relative of the veteran, called out “to mail back the clothes the veteran was wearing” because the clothes belonged to the driver.

Coordinator Holbrook explained that veterans with no family or relatives would be the primary focus of the Adopt-A-Vet Program, once approval to launch the program is provided by the ODVS.

The Veterans Home’s Volunteer Committee would continue to meet on a quarterly basis and provide needed services and support as they have always done for the veterans at the Home, according to Mr. Holbrook.

For example, the 20th Annual Veterans Home Golf Outing in August of 2024 would again be spearheaded by the Home Volunteer Committee and every cent generated by the Annual Golf Outing would go directly to supporting programs and projects for the veterans at the Veterans Home.

Following his presentation, Coordinator Holbrook met with DAV Chapter Commander Steve Smith to discuss the Chapter’s past participation in programs and projects at the Veterans Home.

“We had a good discussion and I had the privilege of imparting how our Chapter had initiated and supported Home activities,” said Commander Smith.

For example, Chapter #63 and DAV Department of Ohio had collaborated to raise $12,000 to replace a deteriorating a 190-foot bridge on the Home’s walking path. Two (2) other collaborations included providing a $25.00 stipend gift to each veteran at the Home and hosting five (5) Special Veteran Dinners during the year.

Other solely Chapter 2023 activities included: replacing outdoor rocking chairs with glider chairs; hosting six (6) Bingo dates; supporting the book/magazine program; providing photographic supplies for veterans’ Christmas pictures; and donating welcome items for new residents.

Mr. Holbrook received a copy of the DAV Chapter’s Annual Report for 2023 and a pledge from Chapter Commander Smith that the Chapter will continue to actively support all activities at the Ohio Veterans Home.

“We certainly appreciated Mr. Holbrook visiting with us and he has our promise that we will continue to support his vision and that of the Home Volunteer Committee,” concluded Smith. “We are already lining up Chapter volunteers to serve the dinner at the 20th Annual Golf Outing in August, as we have done in the past for the last four (4) years.”

“I would encourage anyone that wants to volunteer for only a few hours every month to assist our veterans at the Ohio Veterans’ Home,” said Smith, “to contact Mr. Holbrook directly at (937) 378-2900.”