After graduating from college, in 2022 my son enlisted in the Army. He’s in the infantry, stationed in Germany. His decision has introduced me to a new community in the San Ramon Valley, the Blue Star Moms. This community is made up of people who are committed to helping our Veteran and Active Duty servicemembers.
When I talk about my son, I am asked how our generous community can help.
If you would like to get involved, here are some ideas for you. Start by visiting the Veterans Memorial Building on Hartz Avenue in Danville. We all pass by, but I think few of us go in. Inside you will find a wonderful, small museum dedicated to the men and women from our valley that have served. Docents are there daily to help. A docent helped me fold an American flag the correct way so I could display in my home. It’s harder than it looks to make a perfect triangle. If you have items like medals from your veteran family members, they can teach you how to display properly.
Part of Blue Star Moms mission is to send care packages to our deployed troops. There is a permanent food collection site at the Coldwell Banker office in The Livery. If you’d like to donate food for care packages, this is a convenient way to do this. We need items that can ship well. Examples could include protein bars, beef jerky, flavored powders for water. Think snacks.
I also discovered that Las Positas College has a fantastic Veteran’s program. Veterans First helps hundreds of veterans and their families exercise their veteran benefits and attend college. On October 21st, the Veterans First Program will have a fun day of activity called 2.2 for 22 Challenge for Veterans. Come out and participate. Some of the things you could do last year included pet a service animal for 2.2 minutes and talk to a Veteran for 2.2 minutes. There were many fun activities tied to the number 22. It’s a great activity for kids and adults alike. You can find more information on the Las Positas website.
By Janine Collins