Celebrating America on the National DAR Day of Service

As your Celebrate America! National Chair I was honored to see DAR members from coast to coast and beyond enthusiastically embrace the idea of serving their communities as part of the National DAR Day of Service on October 11, 2015.  They served more ways than you or I could possibly imagine!  Throughout this administration members have given so much back to their communities through service. What fitting ways to honor our heritage by acknowledging the efforts of our Founders as well as all of those determined members through the years who shaped and built for us a vibrant, relevant and engaged National Society!  Together we have made – and are continuing to make – a difference in the lives of those around us.

Hundreds of members from near and far shared their experiences of that day.  More than 150 emails were sent to Headquarters by members and chapters with photos and stories of their service initiatives.  The hashtag #DARDayOfService garnered more than 200 posts on social media, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of people seeing the impact DAR made that day along. Local news outlets across the country shared stories about how local communities were benefited through DAR service.

So what was accomplished?  Cemeteries were cleared and transcribed.  Meals served to those less fortunate and to first responders.    Veterans were visited, interviewed, honored and celebrated.  Commemorative events were held.  Blood drives were sponsored.  Baby showers for service members were held.  Historic sites were cleaned and needed maintenance was performed.  Habitat for Humanity crews were fed.  Victims of domestic violence were supported.  Empty shelves at local food pantries were restocked.  Books were donated.  Scarves were knitted.  The list goes on and on! Take a look at some of the photos of these events in the public slideshow and even more on the Celebrate 125! Facebook page.

Members are continuing to report their DAR Day of Service activities.  Photographs and narratives about the many different actions clearly show that not only have communities benefitted by members’ service, but the members themselves are also changed.

We see how a drop of water merges with other droplets to form a puddle, which then becomes a small stream, then finally a rushing river.  We see the impact that this river can have on the environment.  So it is with our service.  Together we are impacting our communities in ways we could not have imagined!

We are proud DAR members!  We are transforming our communities!  And in the process, we are strengthening our organization.  Our Founders (and all of our foremothers) must be smiling.

Please continue to participate in Celebrate America! service projects and be sure to record your hours in the Online Tally. We are so close to our 12.5 million hour goal for this administration and we need your help to get there!