For the first 16 years of her life, Carrie Davenport did not know the American Legion Auxiliary existed. Since she joined the organization 16 years ago, she has been a dedicated member of the Auxiliary, making great strides to improve the lives of veterans, military, and their families.
Davenport was called into the office at her high school to interview for the ALA Girls State program, and during that program, uncovered a new passion.
“I discovered through ALA Girls State how much I truly loved to give back and be involved in community service,” Davenport said.
Davenport was moved to serve at ALA Girls State. Through her volunteer work, she learned about other programs the Auxiliary had to offer, and during graduate school, Davenport dove into her ALA membership and began giving back to her community.
Her enthusiasm and leadership skills allowed Davenport to take on many different positions within her local Auxiliary. Her favorite projects are collaborative events where multiple units or different groups in the community come together to support veterans.
In collaboration with Blue Star Mothers, Davenport’s county Auxiliary was able to send over 1,000 packages to troops overseas this holiday season.
While county president, Davenport furthered the impact on servicemembers by incorporating a small service project into each meeting.
“Whether it’s folding pocket flags, sending valentine cards, putting together mini care packages for homeless veterans, or making something to take to the VA, every month at the meeting is a mini service project,” Davenport said.
Not only did this effort benefit veterans and military, but it also re-energized participants and increased retention rates of members in her county.
After devoting lots of time and financial resources into her local Auxiliary, Davenport was not sure if it made sense for her to also support the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation financially.
“I was kind of dismissive of the ALA Foundation when it first came to life,” Davenport admitted, “but as I have grown within the organization, I have been able to see how donating to the Foundation could impact me and my colleagues’ programs.”
Davenport had experienced growth in her local Auxiliary and realized that ALA Foundation contributes to similar successes across the country.
“Donating to the ALA Foundation allows me to have a bigger footprint on the organization without being everywhere at once,” Davenport said. “Why not help others get off the ground too, and at the same time you can gain by just following the work of the Foundation?”
With this realization, Davenport expanded her reach even further by applying for and accepting a position on the ALA Foundation Board of Directors. Soon after, she started contributing a monthly gift to the ALA Foundation’s Mission Endowment Fund.
“I became a monthly donor primarily because I see the value in creating healthy habits. We can all say we are going to donate later. … Then you think about how many times do I waste $10 when I’m randomly shopping on Amazon?” Davenport said.
“So, if I can easily spend $10 without thinking on aimless things, why can’t I make a conscious effort to spend $10 a month on something that can add to a bigger impact in supporting our veterans?”
Click here to join Carrie in monthly giving by checking the box that reads, “Repeat my donation monthly” before making your donation.
