Celebrating our Battle Creek VA volunteers
During National Volunteer Week, Battle Creek VA will host events on April 24th and 25th for its volunteers with an introduction to the Whole Health concept along with services Whole Health offers.
The annual observance, which takes place every third week of April, officially took root in the U.S. in 1974, when the 37th U.S. President, Richard Nixon, established it with an executive order. VA recognizes the contributions from individuals who honor Veterans with their time, dedication, and compassion their efforts bring by volunteering at VA medical facilities and clinics across the nation.
“Our volunteers don’t provide their valuable time and efforts to be recognized, but their contributions are very important to our Veterans and we saw this special moment as a way to not only give back to them, but provide them with something they may not have experienced before as a token of our appreciation,” said Joe Devyak, a Voluntary Service Specialist at Battle Creek VA Medical Center.
Some of the events Whole Health will provide to Battle Creek VA volunteers include bowling, an arts and music clinic, an educational tour of its greenhouse, and Reiki sessions.
“Whole Health service provides great ways for people to experience healthy mindfulness and incorporate various opportunities of improving quality of life,” said Devyak. “Exposure to these different practices can be useful to everyone.”
Nationally, VA had approximately 25,403 volunteers providing more than 3.2 million hours of volunteer service from community partners and Veterans who wanted to continue their services to Veterans during 2023. There were 326 volunteers at Battle Creek VA, who provided 24,036 hours of support to Veterans from across 21 counties of southwest Michigan.
Many of the duty’s volunteers provide include driving, escorting, feeding, visiting, serving, and connecting with socially isolated Veterans. Veterans Affairs has one of the most extensive volunteer networks in the United States.
“Our volunteers are enhancing the VA healthcare experience every day and their efforts have a diverse and incredible impact here,” said Devyak. “As long as they continue to be part of the team we’ll always find ways to thank them for their contributions.”
If you, or someone you may know, would like to become involved with contributing or donating with Battle Creek VA Community and Volunteer Services, please follow this link.