Programs
What We Do
Four decades of the same idea: money where it is needed, and veterans telling the truth about what happened to them.
The largest commitment
VA Supportive Housing (VASH)
about half of all chapter veteran-support funds, sustained for more than ten years.
The chapter buys preloaded debit cards sized to each family — a set amount per child, plus veterans taking college courses. VASH staff inventory the children and hand out the cards. The chapter never contacts recipient families directly.
Cards go out twice a year — at Christmas and at back-to-school. The chapter never meets the families — VASH caseworkers handle distribution, which keeps the help private for the people receiving it.
Since 1987
Tour of Duty: veterans in classrooms
Chapter members have shared their Tour of Duty experiences with audiences from elementary school students to senior citizens groups. Past speakers have included nurses, Red Cross service personnel, and men and women who served in every capacity in each of the services, from combat to logistical support. Each one had a story worth hearing.
As Vietnam veterans, the chapter’s aim is to ensure an accurate and balanced understanding of the war. A typical program covers each veteran’s road to Vietnam, his tour of duty, and questions from the floor. The agenda is flexible.
Those who served during the Vietnam War are one of the greatest resources for understanding what happened during that period. Having members share their experiences can help a group gain respect and understanding for service, and learn lessons in character and civic responsibility.
Where members have spoken
- The Vietnam Veterans Memorial — The Wall
- Arlington County Public Schools
- Fairfax County Public Schools
- George Mason University
- Northern Virginia Community College
- University of Maryland
- Trinity College
Request a speaker
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School speakers program
Tom Stryer
No contact details were ever published for this role. Call the chapter on 703-850-3498.
Since 1985
Scholarships
Chapter 227 has been involved in scholarships for needy Northern Virginia students since it was founded. To meet the chapter’s goal of assisting veteran families and providing community service, members fundraise specifically for scholarship purposes.
The program has since been extended to fund summer English teaching classes at area schools, giving students an opportunity to improve their English and become better students.
Where else the money goes
Beyond direct aid, the chapter funds and staffs a long list of smaller commitments.
The Lamb Center
A day shelter in Fairfax for homeless men and women, many of them veterans. The chapter’s AVVA members collect cash and household goods at every monthly meeting.
Wounded Warrior families
The chapter funds the Santa Lists of wounded warrior families each December — $3,000 across three families in 2024.
MITRE Care Packages
A partnership sending care packages to deployed troops. The chapter helps pay shipping, disburses the funds collected, and sends the acknowledgment letters.
Memorial Day Writers’ Project
The chapter has funded the tent at The Wall where veterans read poetry, short stories and music. Many chapter members helped form it.
Suits for Veterans
Business attire gift certificates and more than 150 donated suits for patients at Walter Reed and Bethesda Naval Hospital.
Operation Kick-Start
A $25 grant to every new homeless veteran resident at Compassion House, for personal items.