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VA Employees Give Back Through Volunteering

A collage of photos of Washington DC VA Medical Center employees volunteering their time at the 2022 Winterhaven Stand Down event in support of homeless and at-risk Veterans.

The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known around the world as Giving Tuesday. This global day of giving serves as a reminder that we can all contribute in some way to bettering the world around us.

From charitable contributions, to volunteering time in your local community, there are countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. Employees at the Washington DC VA Medical Center often donate their time and money to non-profit organizations as a part of the Combined Federal Campaign, or CFC.

The mission of the CFC is to promote and support philanthropy through a program that is employee focused, cost-efficient and effective in providing all federal employees the opportunity to improve the quality of life for all.

On Saturday, November 5, 2022, Washington DC VA Medical Center employees volunteered their time at the 2022 Winterhaven Homeless Veterans Stand Down.  This event brought together VA and community resources to provide Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, with health care, housing, education and employment services. 52 employee volunteers helped fit Veterans with coats, shoes and supplies for the upcoming winter, and handed out meals.

Washington DC VA Medical Center Chief of Prosthetics, Katrina Kearney, volunteered to hand out clothing in the Women’s Health Clinic to connect with Veterans outside of her usual duties. She said the experience allowed her to express a small token of her appreciation for their service and to learn their stories.

“Everyone has a story, some are vocal about it, some are quiet and some share it through their eyes. Seeing the impact events like these have is indescribable. It tugs at your heart strings a little bit,” she said.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health, Shereef Elnahal, and the United States Office of Personnel Management Director, Kiran Ahuja, also volunteered at the stand down and personally thanked employees for their dedication to giving back to Veterans. 

In total, 260 hours were volunteered by Washington DC VA Medical Center employee. Winterhaven is one of several events that Washington DC VA Medical Center employees volunteer at to better the community and world around them. Their efforts will count toward the medical center’s 2022 CFC campaign, which aims to raise funding and volunteer efforts for those in need. 

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