Ellen L. Timmerman, Auxiliary National Commander

Serving veterans and families

It’s an honor to have been elected as your DAV Auxiliary national commander, and I am looking forward to continuing to serve veterans and families alongside each of you.

I mentioned to several members at our recent convention in Reno, Nev., the importance of the Auxiliary’s Caregiver Initiative Program. In the coming year, I hope you will join me as we work to expand this program beyond adaptive sports events. The Auxiliary has already showcased just how effective a program like this is at the annual National Disabled Veterans TEE (Training, Exposure, Experience) Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa. I know many of us have a passion for caregivers as well as being caregivers ourselves. Expanding the capabilities of this program will help us support these men and women, who are heroes in their own right, as they tirelessly care for our nation’s ill and injured veterans.

I also hope you will join me as I focus on Auxiliary membership. There are many families and veteran supporters in our hometowns who simply aren’t aware of DAV or the Auxiliary. I intend to “put ourselves out there” and invite everyone to do the same. As many of us already know, it’s often the spouses or immediate family members of a veteran who take the first steps in getting involved with our organization. One method that works for me is staying in constant contact with a national, department or chapter service officer in the local area who can assist with gathering information to give to a veteran’s family and make them aware of the benefits they may have.

Together, we can get our noble work done while we spread a message of unity, kindness and empathy to the veterans and families we serve. I’m honored and looking forward to serving with all of you