By Colleen McGuire-Klemme

Each year I take a moment to pause to reflect on my birthday. It’s usually 10 seconds into the reflection that I realize I haven’t accomplished even half of what I had said I would 12 months earlier.

When I took a moment to reflect on the first 12 months of the Veterans Resource Network Association, I didn’t have the normal “birthday disappointment” I am accustomed to.

In the past 12 months, the VRNA has awarded $12,500 in scholarships to children and grandchildren of Veterans, saved members an average of more than $12 off each prescription, supported and reported about Veterans issues from Capitol Hill and sponsored Veterans events across the country. And finally, the VRNA went from serving zero members to 200,000+ members in those 12 months. Truly an incredible feat!

On May 10, 2000, the VRNA launched with seasoned Veterans serving on the board of directors and high ideals that the services we had negotiated would provide useful benefits for members – Veterans who had yet to hear about us. Through an aggressive campaign of letters, television advertisements,

e-mail newsletters, trips to Capitol Hill and special magazine donations to the nation’s VA clinic waiting rooms, America began to hear about the VRNA.

Today, we are proud to serve Veterans across the nation. The benefits and services provided are a nice membership bonus, but we hope you continue your membership in the VRNA because you are proud to be associated with an organization that serves Veterans, National Guard and Reservists, and the widows and spouses of Veterans who have sacrificed themselves for our country. Your membership in the VRNA not only helps educate future generations through national memorial donations and scholarship funding, but it also ensures that Veterans of today and tomorrow will always have someone to hold that bright beacon of respect for the Veteran community.

As we move forward into our second year, and years beyond, the VRNA will continue working hard for Veterans and their families.

We would like your comments and feedback about how we have done during our first year. Please e-mail your comments to service@vrna.org or call 1-877-848-VRNA (8762).