IMPORTANT MESSAGES:

2020 Christmas Gift Shops and Christmas Parties

Update

Ft. Meade Gift Shop (Joanann Goeringer)

Sunday, November 15 – 10:00 am 

We will be starting at the chapel instead of the hospital, filling and wrapping gifts to ship. We will do a potluck each day we are there.  If anyone has a table and maybe a small heater if you get cold, the chapel does not have heat. Please bring them.  We are not sure how many days it will take.

Ft. Meade Christmas Party – (Piedmont Unit 311) – yet to be determined

There will not be an in-house party this year. Members will be gathering together to put together gift bags to be distributed.

Hot Springs State Home Gift Shop (Diane Simunek)

Saturday, November 14 – 12:00 pm (Mountain Time)

We will be meeting at the Hot Springs Post Home at 12:00 pm. We will be wrapping gifts and doing Christmas cards. 

Hot Springs State Home Christmas Party (Kim Geer and Mary Jo Stier)

There will not be an in-house Christmas Party at the State Home this year. Instead, we will be assembling gift bags for the residents on Saturday, November 14. We will get together at the Hot Springs Post Home on Saturday afternoon around 4:00 pm to assemble the bags and to write Christmas cards. 

Hot Springs VA Hospital Gift Shop (Susie Clyde)

The gift shop is set as scheduled. However, it will be a little different. We are allowed to only have two people help the veterans shop at any given time. After the veterans are all done shopping, we will have up to seven people come in and wrap the gifts to be mailed. 

Hot Springs VA Hospital Christmas Party (Terry Curry) – yet to be determined

Sioux Falls VA Hospital Gift Shop – (Julie Weinmann)

The VA will have a VA employee going to the Veterans and getting the gift requests.  They will then bring the list back to us and we will pick out the items and then wrap them and the VA employee will deliver the gifts to the Veterans room or we will mail them out.  The VA wants us to give to the Veteran plus 1 other gift.  The second gift will probably be mailed out.  We might be able to sneak in more than one other gift.  I will need only a few volunteers for this gift shop on Monday and Tuesday and would like them to stay the whole day.

Sioux Falls VA Christmas Party – (Kathy Geraets) - yet to be determined

 

Human Service Center Gift Shop - (Mary Jo Stier)

The Human Service Center staff will be having the veterans fill in a Christmas wish form and will send them to me the day before Thanksgiving. We will then need to go shopping for the gifts and line up a day to wrap. If you would like to help, please reach out to Mary Jo.

 

Human Service Center Christmas Party - (Mary Jo Stier)

The Christmas Party will be a catered meal on December 17. The Human Service Center Staff will be serving the meal for us. 

 

South Dakota
American Legion Auxiliary

 

With Thoughts and Prayer

From Department Chaplain

Kathleen Gieman

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Father, I thank you for hearing my prayers, no matter day or night. I thank you for being by my side in times of crisis and hurt, as well as joy and laughter. Continue to be by my side Lord, as I move through this world a disciple of your name and truth. Let me never stray from you,but always keep open a line of communion and communication, eager to hear your wisdom, as I am always eager to rejoice in your name. Amen

Department Chaplain Kathleen K Geiman

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                            Please keep Ed and Laurel Stringer in your thoughts and prayers at this time. 

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Elaine Kaye Ekle - Past Department Historian Elaine passed away peacefully at Ava's House of Sanford Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD, September 11, 2020 at the age of 71. Her funeral service will be at 12:00 noon on Sunday, September 13th, 2020 at Canton Lutheran Church.  Burial will be at Forest Hill Cemetery new Canton.  Visitation will be Saturday from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Anderson Funderal Home in Canton.