Virginia VFW Post Receives National Community Service Award

Chesapeake Post 2894 rallied its community together for a veteran’s home renovation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars is proud to announce SSG Jonathan Dozier Memorial Post 2894 in Chesapeake, Virginia, was selected to receive the prestigious VFW Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award, which recognizes VFW Posts for unique and outstanding community service projects.

VFW Post 2894 was selected for its home renovation project for Brandi Jones, a U.S. Navy veteran and single mother of two. After a traumatic home invasion forced her to move in 2011, Jones relocated only to discover her home would need more work than initially expected, but she didn’t have the funds to address the growing list of concerns. 

After a chance encounter during a VFW “Buddy”® Poppy drive, members of Post 2894 immediately set to work planning the renovation project. With support from several local businesses and associations, more than 150 volunteers rallied together to help ensure Jones and her sons had a safe place to call home. Valued at nearly $25,000, the renovation project included new exterior floodlights and an alarm system, a completely remodeled kitchen, new flooring, fresh ceiling paint, a new roof, new siding and gutters, and a backyard clean up with new fencing and landscaping. 

“When I challenged VFW members to ‘Dare to Care’ this year, the incredible level of support and dedication VFW Post 2894 showed their sister-in-arms goes above and beyond anything I could have imagined,” said VFW National Commander William “Doc” Schmitz. “Post 2894’s efforts are a perfect example of the values and mission of our organization.”

VFW Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief Hal Roesch presented the 2020 VFW Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award to VFW Post 2894 Commander Chris Mulholland, alongside VFW Department of Virginia Commander Rick Raskin last week during the Department’s convention.