DAV chapter seeks help from county

The Rockingham County chapter of the Disabled American Veterans is turning to the county commissioners for help.

Ronnie Lewis, chaplain of the chapter, spoke to county commissioners at their last meeting about getting a building for a chapter house. He said they are thankful for the current meeting place at the Rockingham County Opportunity Center on Cherokee Road in Wentworth, but their needs outgrow the facility.

“We want something for these young veterans coming back because we don’t even have a place we can call a chapter house, or anywhere we can just sit down without being disturbed,” Lewis said. “I believe the commissioners can help us, but they are bombarded with other requests. Every group wants something, but it’s time for our veterans.”

Lewis said the group hopes the county can give them a building which is no longer being used. He said they would be willing to pay for the deed transfer and any additional costs.

“This would be of no cost to the county – we just need a place to meet,” Lewis said.

The DAV handles a wide number of service projects throughout the year, and it offers transportation to veterans’ hospitals every day. They currently have two vans for transportation, but they must raise money to replace the vans every few years.

Glen Johnson, commander of the chapter, said donations have been coming in this year, but they are down from past years.

“Our donations have been affected by the hard economic times like everyone else,” Johnson said. “We are just fortunate that people are still giving. We don’t want to complain, because the ones that can afford to give are very generous.”

The group is working on fund-raising for new vans and the possibility of a new building. Johnson said they are willing to work with any other organizations for building space.

The auxiliary group works with the DAV to fund projects and coordinate van schedules. Betty Gatewood, a member of the auxiliary, is also a volunteer driver. She said they are in need of additional volunteers to drive.

“We are always looking for volunteers, especially drivers, because we have some who started to get problems with their eyes or arms, and they can’t be on the road anymore,” Gatewood said. “We don’t let anyone drive who has any type of condition that can make it dangerous on the road.”

Disability services are another big part of the group, which assists veterans throughout the entire process of applying for disability claims. Johnson said the DAV gets more claims than any other service organization.

“We help any veterans apply for disability and some cases do take longer than others to complete,” Johnson said. “We also offer fellowship to veterans because it’s psychologically helpful to associate these people together who have the same challenges in life.”

The DAV has started several campaigns to try and get young people involved in the organization. The group is going to different festivals and events in the area to let people know more about the organization. Johnson said the only downside to this is paying money that could be going to fund other services for the group.

“We want to be able to go and set up at festivals for free, but we do have to pay at most locations,” Johnson said. “I think it’s a bit much, because in some cases the costs can be over $150. We are just trying to get the word out to young veterans.”

The group works closely with the Golden Corral restaurant on Freeway Drive in Reidsville. The chain also has a national relationship with the group.

“The Golden Corral has been extremely good to us by giving us a place to meet and helping us in our projects,” Lewis said.

The group is planning a soup kitchen for the homeless in January. The auxiliary is working on providing gifts to veterans who are in nursing homes for the holidays.

“The main problem is that some people don’t know we even exist,” Johnson said. “We have put a listing in the phone book, but someone told us it took him two years to find us. We really need to get the word out.”

For more information on the Disabled American Veterans group, visit http://www.dav.org/ or for local information, call (336) 349-6040.