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Amvets Post Helps Veterans Year-Round

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By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 6, 2007

BRANDON - The Amvets Post No. 44 at 318 Pauls Drive is open every day to support veterans and their families, especially those just coming in from overseas, said Becky Herndon, president of the Amvets Post No. 44 Ladies Auxiliary and president of District 3, overseeing eight other auxiliaries.

'Our biggest project is helping out the Haley House,' she said, referring to the veterans' support center in Tampa. 'We had a big fundraiser in July at O'Brien's Irish Pub and Bistro that brought in $3,225 for it.'

The Amvets Post's Ron Liss runs the Bingo games from noon to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at the Brandon Veterans Hall, 115 W. Clay St. The auxiliary also holds yard sales at 8 a.m. the first and third Saturday of every month to raise money for the post's projects, which include filling backpacks with supplies for school children in August and filling knapsacks with toiletries and clean clothes for homeless veterans in September.
Combat veterans often share common experiences at the post that bond them together, but what brings the women together in the auxiliary? Herndon's son, Army Staff Sgt. Scott Dozier of Ft. Bragg, N.C., has been to Iraq twice.

'He's what brought me here,' Herndon said. She moved to Brandon in 1996 and has been a member of the group since 2001. 'This place has been my life since Scott joined the Army in 2000,' she said. 'I've dedicated my life to helping out here. I met Tom Lindquist here. It means so much to me.'

Lindquist, Herndon's life companion who passed away Sept. 26, was first vice commander of the post from 2005 to 2007. He had retired from the Army and the Miami-Dade police force.

'He decorated all these walls,' Herndon said, pointing to certificates, newspaper clippings, awards and an American flag folded in a triangular wooden box. 'That flag was donated by my son.

'Amvets are required to do community work to get our evaluations and keep our charter,' Herndon said. 'Some members drive other vets to the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa. The Amvets judged the Junior ROTC competition at Bloomingdale High School, and we do Christmas angels.'

As angels, they pick five families and provide each with a ham and a turkey, and provide 'everything they need' from clothes to toys from a wish list, she said.

The women help out the community in other ways, too. They collect eye glasses and take them to the Brandon Lions Club. Last year, they took cell phones and 35 boxes of clothes to The Spring of Tampa Bay, a shelter and service organization for victims of abuse; donated 30 boxes of clothes to homeless vets; clipped coupons for the Metropolitan Ministries homeless support agency; and gave greeting-card fronts to a retirement center.

The approximately 200 Amvets members are led by Cmdr. Richard J. 'Dick' Graven Jr., 1st Vice Cmdr. Vincent 'Vinnie' Michalski, 2nd Vice Cmdr. Sam Miller, Adjutant Fritz Heibel, Judge Advocate Larry Carpenter, Finance Officer Kenneth Soloski, Provost Marshall and Chaplain Steve Cleveland, Three-Year Trustee Mel Meyers, Two-Year Trustee Jerry Estep and One-Year Trustee Mark Parsley.

Herndon is aided in leading the 50 members of the Ladies Auxiliary by Linda Soloski, first vice president; Deborah Seeley, second vice president; Joani Feist, third vice president; Maxine Seeley, treasurer and chaplain; Maxine Harlin, sergeant-at-arms; and Sharon Howard, recording secretary.

Also helping out at the post and in the community is a group of about 30 Sons of Amvets. Their officers are Cmdr. Ed Seeley; 1st Vice Cmdr. Tim Winter, 2nd Vice Cmdr. Gene Robinson, 3rd Vice Cmdr. Carlos Ramirez-Dejongh; Finance Officer Bruce Martin; Judge Advocate Chad Duncan; and Provost Marshall Rick Persons.

Winners of Artworks Competition Announced

BRANDON - Artworks 2007, sponsored by the Brandon League of Fine Arts at the Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, was judged by Kendra Frorup, an art professor at the University of Tampa. The show chairwoman was league President Doreen Donovan.

The winner of the first-place, $500 Center Place Award was Edwin Martinez's 'Fairy,' a work in acrylic and pencil. The $300, second-place award went to Frank Bolock for 'Baggage,' in acrylic on canvas. The $150, third-place winner was Cheryl Jorgensen for her watercolor, 'Docked.' Honorable mention winners were Less Twining for 'Nancy's Garden' in the photography category and Virginia Rhan for 'Growing Sweeter,' a small watercolor painting.

Congregation Offers Bible And Bagels

BRANDON - The public is invited to free adult education classes being taught by Rabbi Betsy Torop at Congregation Beth Shalom, 706 Bryan Road.

'Back to the Sources' will explain the Hebrew word 'midrash' and 'explore the background of the texts from the Bible from the Talmud to the Zohar,' said Lauren Shaw, publicity chairwoman for the synagogue. Classes will run from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Oct. 16, 23 and 30.

'Bible and Bagels,' previewing the week's Torah reading, 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow: How Noah Changed the World,' will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 13.

Registration is not required. For information, call the temple office at (813) 681-6547.

Snippets

The Miniature Artists of America and the Miniature Art Society of Florida present their 32nd annual show in the Mook Gallery and Showcases at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment through Oct. 30. The public is invited to a free artist reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL, 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampa bay.rr.com or call (813) 657-4531.

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