The Positive Voices

May is finally here and that means nice weather is going to allow people to get out and enjoy the sunshine and warmth of spring. This truly is a blessing for members of Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Many members are forced to stay indoors due to our cold winters with nothing to do but stare out at the snow and ice. Perhaps if a new attached green house was possible (and it is if funds could be raised). Many could benefit from programs that Betsy Brown, a registered Horticultural Therapist, could provide. Horticultural Therapy is a great program that I have personally seen in action and highly recommend. The Friends of Michigan Veterans Homes Inc. is just about ready to start a new project at the home. This project will remodel the existing employee lounge area into a first class beauty-barber shop complete with handicap accessible chairs to greatly improve comfort and ease for the lady members of the home. This is a much needed project and we are about halfway there in funding to make this project a reality. Please contact the Friends group through our Friends of Michigan Veterans Homes website at http://www.friendsofmichiganveteranshomes.org/. If you can help, thanks. Now let’s talk about something I feel is very important at the end of May, Memorial Day. This should be much more than a three day weekend that kicks off summer. Sadly, to many people this is uppermost in their minds and people who feel that way should be ashamed of themselves. This is the time to remember our veterans who have given so much to maintain the way of life we here in America so many times take for granted. Sadly, the West Michigan area has lost two more young men who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country: Nick Roush of Middleville and Lucas Beachnaw of Lowell. Both of these brave men lost their lives in Afghanistan last year and we must never forget them. One way to do that is by showing support for them and their families, by coming out and attending the Memorial Day Parades in your local communities. Grand Rapids’ is Saturday, May 29 at 10 a.m. I strongly urge you to come out and show your support for our vets and their families who have given so much to our country. Please try to set aside a couple of hours and attend a parade in your area, I can’t tell you how much this means to our veterans to see a good turnout. Thank you again, West Michigan, for supporting our veterans

Michael Burri, now age 59, served in the United States Army Military Police at Fort Hood from 1969-71. Mike is Commander of the Kent County Veterans Honor Guard; Junior Vice Commander Kent County United Veterans Council; and Secretary for Friends of Michigan Veterans Homes, Inc., as well as being a founding member of this organization. Mike is a recipient of the American Red Cross Community Hero’s Award. He organized a drive to collect shoes for children of Iraqi orphanages. This project overflowed with love as generous people gave and gave. Mike was able to send to those Iraqi children 6,000 pairs of shoes and 15,000 blankets and baby outfits. Mike coordinated the 4,000 Veterans who lined the Bridge to pay tribute to President Gerald R. Ford as the President’s funeral cortege passed. He raised $42,000 for the Operation Iraqi Freedom Monument in Veterans Park at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Mike also raised $30,000 and volunteered all construction labor of the All-American Grill Project located at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Friends of Michigan Veterans Homes, Inc. has just been awarded a $50,000 grant from the M.E. Davenport Foundation due to Mike’s submitting the request for funding and following through. $35,000 of this generous gift will be used at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans to upgrade living space for our veterans, and $15,000 will be given to D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette for the same purpose. Thank you, Mike! We salute you! Help Us Help Our Vets! These are just a few possibilities which could be implemented by the Friends of Michigan Veterans Homes, Inc. Foundation: New attached greenhouse which would improve member accessibility during the winter months Visitor’s Center at cemetery with grave site locator system to enable families to locate lost loved ones Expand All Purpose Room (APR) Grand Rapids Home for Veterans 3000 Monroe NE Grand Rapids, MI 49505 Phone : 616.364.5300