VA San Diego Healthcare System

With pride in their hearts and a song, joke or other forms of creative expression, thousands of Americans visit Veteran hospitals across the country every year to say thank you to the 98,000 men and women being cared for in VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, domiciliaries, and nursing homes. While visitors are frequent, the majority of visits occur during the National Salute to Veteran Patients Week, which is held during the week of Valentine’s Day on Feb 14. This year’s program took place Feb 10-16.

The purpose is:

• Pay tribute and express appreciation to Veterans.
• Increase community awareness of the role of the VA medical center.
• Encourage citizens to visit hospitalized Veterans and to become involved as volunteers.

Locally we had a full schedule of events for the week.  The weeklong event kicked off on Legion Day February 9th by the American Legion event that included a mariachi band, inpatient gift distribution, and bingo for the inpatients.  Voluntary Service distributed valentine balloons and cards to Veteran patients and clinics.  There was a vast array of groups that visited and entertained the patients.  One group in particular was a group of 60 Carrillo Elementary School 3rd graders who sang and performed patriotic sign language songs in outpatient waiting areas. 

These are a small sample of ways Volunteers enrich and enhance Veterans’ lives.  Volunteers are a priceless asset to our Nation's Veterans and to the Department of Veterans Affairs.  If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer, please visit our local site at http://www.sandiego.va.gov/giving/index.asp.