Island Auxiliary offers heartfelt help to women veterans
Officers of the Shelter Island American Legion Auxiliary with a personal care kit. Front, from left, Heather Reylek (secretary) and Mary Dudley-Luecker (president). Back, Pam Jackson (treasurer) and Rita Gates (vice president). Missing, Unit Chaplain Norma Edwards.
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show others that you’re thinking of them. In recent weeks members of the American Legion Auxiliary Mitchell Post 281 have been working to do just that by assembling personal care kits for women they have never met.
The recipients of the kits will be patients of the Women’s Wellness Center at the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In the coming days, auxiliary members will drive up to Northport to deliver 35 plastic baskets filled with toiletries and personal care items such as baby powder, feminine care items, deodorant, soap, mouthwash, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and a body scrubber.
Each basket is topped by a red and white starred ribbon with a card that reads: “From your friends at the American Legion Auxiliary Mitchell Post 281, Shelter Island.”
It’s all part of a veterans affairs and rehabilitation program that the Shelter Island Auxiliary has participated in for the past several years. The program grew out of the “Past Presidents Parley,” a forum hosted by the Suffolk County American Legion Auxiliary in which former auxiliary presidents gather to share their expertise and knowledge in active service and help further the work of the organization.
“They pick a topic or subject to focus on,” explained Pam Jackson, treasurer of the Shelter Island Auxiliary.
The initiative, called Operation Stocking, initially took place around the holidays and was directed primarily toward men in active service. But the Shelter Island Auxiliary was given the mission to focus its efforts on female veterans.
“Back in 2011, they decided that we would do baskets for the Women’s Wellness Center,” added Ms. Jackson.
“We’ve been putting baskets together ever since to keep it going.”
Auxiliary members also liked the idea of shifting their efforts to Valentine’s Day — a time of year when there aren’t typically as many charitable efforts underway.
“Some of the women are in real need,” said Ms. Jackson. “The VA loves it.”
Auxiliary Secretary Heather Reylek came up with the idea of putting the toiletries in plastic baskets instead of bags. Not only do the baskets take up less space on the shelving units at the Women’s Wellness Center, patients can also take the baskets into the showers at the facility.
“We said, ‘Is this what you needed?’ They were delighted,” said Ms. Reylek when the auxiliary showed the kits to the staff at the center. “The baskets were consistent and they could just pull one off the shelf and give it to them.”
The focus on the needs of women at VA facilities like the one in Northport points to changing times in the military. While women have served as far back as World War II, in recent decades the number of female service members has grown exponentially. That means there are now far more female veterans in need of medical care than in years past, and sometimes it can be difficult for the VA to find the resources to meet their needs.
“They do have limited resources,” confirmed Ms. Reylek. “The demographics are changing. We have a lot more women in the military now.”
“I’ve been through two directors and they’re all gung ho, but they find a lot of friction with the men who run the VA,” Ms. Jackson said. “They had paper gowns for the women and had to fight for cloth gowns. They finally got them.”
That’s why the auxiliary members are happy to be able to do something nice for the female veterans in need of the VA’s services, providing a bit of comfort for women undergoing medical treatments.
“The hospital gives you a few basics — a tiny bar of soap and socks and toothbrush. Not much,” said Ms. Reylek. “This has a more personal touch to it.”
“The VA initially had a list they gave out,” said Ms. Jackson. “If we can, we add some things too —like a scrubber or a bottle of perfume.”
“For the ladies, it’s nice,” she said.
American Legion Auxiliary Mitchell Post 281 is always happy to welcome new members. In order to qualify, you or a family member must have served in the military. Contact Pam Jackson at (631) 749-3002 for an application.
