Fats, Oils, and Grease Go in the Trash

New Jersey American Water provides tips for proper disposal of

cooking grease to protect home plumbing and sewers

CAMDEN CITY, N.J. – NOV. 19, 2019 –

Next week, Thanksgiving will kick off the holiday season, bringing friends and loved ones together to celebrate, bond, and most of all eat. Many hours are spent cooking the perfect feast, but not much thought is given to cleaning it all up.

Gloucester City News blog files

Along with turkey, gravy, and all the trimmings comes fats, oils, and grease that should not be poured down the drain.

When washed down the drain, grease and oil can adhere to the insides of the pipes causing clogs that lead to sewer overflows and in the worst cases, sewer backups for homeowners. Neither dishwashing detergents nor garbage disposals have the ability to properly break down these materials, which build up over time.

“Fats, oils, and grease are typically liquid when warm but solidify at cooler temperatures,” explains Manoj Patel, Senior Production Manager, Statewide Sewer Operations at New Jersey American Water. “This allows them to pass through your drain in the sink, but once they get to the lower parts of the house drain and cool they turn into a thick sludge that sticks to the pipe interior. Overtime, this causes problems such as sewer blockages and overflows that pose potential health and environmental hazards. We encourage our customers to follow these tips to prevent wastewater blockages.”

New Jersey American Water provides the following tips for handling fats, oils, and grease to ensure clear pipes and sewer system lines:

Never pour grease down sink drains or into toilets.

Pour fats, oils, and grease into an empty jar or coffee can.

Allow the grease to cool and solidify before throwing the container in the trash.

Install baskets or strainers in sink drains to catch food scraps.

Scrape food scraps and grease from plates, pots, and utensils into the trash before washing.

For more information regarding

wastewater tips

and

treatment

, view the infographics on New Jersey American Water’s website.

About New Jersey American Water

New Jersey American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 2.7 million people. For more information, visit

www.newjerseyamwater.com

and follow New Jersey American Water on

Twitter

and

Facebook

.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 7,100 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to more than 14 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit

amwater.com

and follow American Water on

Twitter

,

Facebook

and

LinkedIn

.

Juniors defeat Seniors in Powder Puff 8-6

On a chilly night under the Wednesday Night Lights the Junior Class of 2021 defeated the upper Senior Class of 2020, 8-6 in a fierce battle by the two classes.

Senior Qb Chole Bennett handed sprinter Meghan Ferry the ball for a 22 yard touchdown giving the Seniors an early 6-0 lead after the failed point after attempt.

Juniors would not be denied as the athletic  combo of Crystal Johnson and Gracie Fenton ran behind the blocking of Emily Keith to take the lead. Johnson plunged 2 yards to tie the game at 6 – 6 before Qb Fenton sprinted around the left side for the 2 point conversion and the 8 – 6 win

Halftime entertainment was provided by the Junior Class ALL MALE cheerleading squad

Photos courtesy of Bruce Darrow

More Photos at https://darrowphotos.com/

Junior Qb Gracie Fenton winning conversation

Juniors Celebrate Crystal Johnson (center) Touchdown

Junior Class Cheerleading Squad

Senior Meghan Ferry TD Run

Seniors Celebrate Touchdown

Jefferson Health Hosts 10th Annual ‘Tree of Lights Remembrance Celebration

Sewell, NJ (November 20, 2019)

– Staff and community members gathered at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Washington Township as Jefferson Health New Jersey hosted its 10

th

annual “Tree of Lights” remembrance celebration.

Attendees celebrated the lives of loved ones who are battling, or have battled, cancer by symbolically placing an ornament on the tree. The popular holiday event benefits the Cancer Center’s Patient Assistance Fund.

The tree lighting ceremony followed remarks by

Jeffrey A. Dubnow

, Associate VP of Development, Jefferson Health Foundation – New Jersey;

Dr. Ana

María

López,

Medical Director of Medical Oncology & Infusion Suite and Chief of Cancer Services; and Radiation Oncologist

Dr. William Ross Green

.

Pictured:

Shelley Fralinger

, Chief Radiation Therapist at SKCC-WT, placing an ornament on the “Tree of Lights.”

CNBNews Hunting/Fishing NJ: Youth Deer Hunt Saturday

Antler Point & Antlerless Deer First Requirements Do NOT Apply

This Saturday, Nov. 23, is the

Youth Firearm Deer Hunt

giving youth hunters an opportunity to harvest a deer prior to the opening of the regular firearm deer seasons. Those with a

Youth Firearm Hunting License

may hunt with a shotgun or muzzleloader (Rifle Permit required) under the direct supervision of a person at least 21 years old with a valid NJ firearm license.

Youth Deer Hunt Information

Youth License Information

Take a Kid Hunting Program

Know Your Hunting Location

(DMZ, DMU)

Reporting a Deer Harvest

Deer Harvest Report Card

(pdf)

The Division wishes all youths a safe and successful hunt!

Ohio State Program Helps Pet Owners Cope During Grief Process

Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Making end-of-life decisions for your pet or coping with the loss of an animal is something that no pet owner wants to think about. A program at

The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center

recognizes the importance of human-animal bonds and

provides grief support for pet owners facing tough decisions for their animal.

“Grief is a very real and life-impacting feeling – whether that loss of a loved one is a human or animal,” said Joelle Nielsen, a licensed social worker and Honoring the Bond program coordinator at Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center. “We believe every veterinary medical center should have a social worker available to support pet owners navigating this loss.”

The

Honoring the Bond

program at Ohio State Veterinary Medical Center is one of only about 30 programs in the U.S. that provides a full time social worker to support pet owners faced with the loss of their beloved pet.

“If you go to a human hospital, you’re guaranteed to have the support of either a social worker or a chaplain. That’s rare in a veterinary hospital setting,” Nielsen said.

Credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Sally Malaret made a scrapbook to remember her dog, Max. Talking to a veterinary social worker after Max passed away helped Sally cope with the loss and open her heart to her new dog, Fiona.

Ohio State’s Veterinary Medical Center treats more than 40,000 pets each year with a variety of specialty services ranging from emergency medicine to oncology. Nielsen works as a liaison between the veterinary team and the client to help sort through confusing medical terminology, offer support for those coming in on an unexpected emergency basis, assist with processing difficult end-of-life decisions, facilitate family discussions with children and provide assessment and referral for additional resources.

Nielsen acknowledges that­ – as with any type of grief – the process is different for everyone and stresses that one of the most important things she does with pet owners is to normalize their experience. “It’s common for people to face conflicting feelings generated from a societal stigma surrounding grieving the loss of an animal,” said Nielsen. “I want people to know that it’s completely normal to grieve the loss of their pet.” Nielsen suggests the following to help people through the loss of a beloved pet:

Try not to compare your experience to others.

We all grieve differently.

Remember there is no standard timeline for the grief process.

The goal is to begin to feel better as the days go by but there may be ups and downs.

Find an outlet for your emotions.

If talking about your feelings is difficult, you can also memorialize your pet by making a scrapbook, creating a memory box or journaling.

Find a pet loss support group

, book, website or therapist who specializes in pet loss for ongoing support.

If the sadness doesn’t ease with time,

don’t be afraid to seek help from a professional counselor.

Nielsen developed and coordinates the Hospital-Based Veterinary Social Work Group, which provides support and collaborative opportunities for the small niche of social workers employed by veterinary medical centers across the U.S. and Canada.

“We hope this group can serve as a model for veterinary medical centers and ultimately expand support services to more pet owners,” Nielsen said.

To learn more about the Honoring the Bond Program, visit

vet.osu.edu/honoringthebond

###

Report Shows How Google Promoted Amazon Over Over Smaller Competitors

Chris White |

The Daily Caller

Google makes algorithmic changes to help larger corporations over smaller ones and the mega search engine boosted Amazon and Facebook, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing inside sources.

The company made algorithmic changes to its search results that favored fellow big tech giants,

according

to the report, which relied on an analysis of the company’s system and interviews with sources. Google believes customers prefer products from larger outlets, the report notes.

The move to tilt algorithms toward monster corporations, which was a hotly discussed decision inside the company, boosted Amazon’s products, even if such items were discontinued, the report notes, citing sources.

Google pushed back on TheWSJ’s representation of its algorithms.  “It’s inaccurate to suggest we did not address issues like discontinued products appearing high up in results,” Lara Levin, the spokeswoman, told reporters.

Google also takes measures to help Silicon Valley giants Facebook and Amazon appear more often in search results, one source told TheWSJ.

“There’s this idea that the search algorithm is all neutral and goes out and combs the web and comes back and shows what it found, and that’s total BS,” the former executive said. “Google deals with special cases all the time.”

Levin addressed that issue, too.

“We prioritize issues based on impact, not any commercial relationships,” she said, noting that the search team does not seek to provide specialized guidance to website owners. Faster indexing of a site does not guarantee more results, Levin added.

TheWSJ report also highlighted several examples where Google shut off a company’s lifeline. Online marketer eBay, for instance saw a $200 million hit on its revenue in 2014 after Google lowered the ranking of several of eBay pages that provided traffic to eBay.

Executives decided to pressure Google, with employees meeting with search engineers, the report notes.

Google agreed to improve rankings as eBay worked to make its pages more “useful and relevant,” sources told TheWSJ. The corrections did not prevent Google from later levelling more demotions on eBay, the report notes.

TheWSJ report dovetails with an exclusive the Daily Caller

broke in April

in which documents showed Google employed two official policies called the “misrepresentation policy” and the “good neighbor policy” that informed the company’s “XPA news blacklist.”

“The deceptive_news domain blacklist is going to be used by many search features to filter problematic sites that violate the good neighbor and misrepresentation policies,” the policy document states, according to the TheDC’s report.

WSJ’s Friday report will not tamp down calls from Democrats and Republicans to investigate Google.

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, for instance, released a plan in March to

impose

new rules on tech companies with $25 billion or more in annual ad revenue, forcing Amazon and Google to dramatically reduce their hold on online commerce. She

announced

her bid to run

against

President Donald Trump in February.

Trump is also a critic of Google and other tech companies. He

laid

into CEO Sundar Pichai in August after a company insider claimed at the time that the tech giant is preparing to foil the president’s reelection bid.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact

licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

published here with permission

The Daily Caller

Camden County Prosecutor Concludes Use of Force by Police was Accidental in Camden City Shooting

CAMDEN CITY, NJ (Nov. 21, 2019)–The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office (“CCPO”) has completed its investigation into the use of force by an Investigator of the Camden

County Sheriff’s Department and has concluded that the use of force was accidental and not criminal.  The CCPO determined that it is not necessary to present this matter to the Grand Jury because there were no material facts in dispute regarding the lawfulness of the use of force.  The investigation was conducted in accordance with the Attorney General’s Independent Prosecutor Directive (July 28, 2015, Supplemental Law Enforcement Directive Regarding Uniform Statewide Procedures and Best Practices for Conducting Police Use of Force Investigations) (“Directive”).  Pursuant to the Directive, the Attorney General’s Office conducted an independent review of the use of force and agreed with the CCPO’s determination that there were no material facts in dispute and that the actions of  the Investigator in this case that led to the accidental discharge were justified.  The Attorney General’s Office concurred with the CCPO’s conclusion to forego presentation of this matter to the Grand Jury.

The incident occurred on August 22, 2018, within a residence located on 2

nd

Street, in the City of Camden.  The Investigator accidentally discharged his department-issued handgun, while clearing a residence during the execution of a narcotics, no-knock, search warrant, resulting in a graze wound to the arm of a seventeen-year-old male.  Upon entering the basement apartment, the Investigator encountered a male resident in the hallway.  That resident refused to comply with the Investigator’s commands to get onto the ground and to stop moving toward the investigator and his team behind him.  As a result, the Investigator unholstered his weapon to use the flashlight attached to the frame of his weapon, directly in front of the trigger guard.  As the Investigator tried to flick the flashlight and momentarily distract the resident, he accidentally hit the trigger instead.  The resident was not injured.  However, his seventeen-year-old friend was behind him in the hallway, and his arm was grazed.

Personnel from the CCPO responded and conducted an investigation.  Statements were taken from the Investigator, the resident, and the other officers present.  During the course of the investigation, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office complied with all portions of the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Directive regarding uniform statewide procedures and best practices for conducting police use-of-force investigations.  The investigation revealed that the discharge was accidental and that the Investigator’s actions were not criminal.  Accordingly, no criminal charges are being filed against the Investigator with regard to this incident.

Following the investigation, the CCPO charged the resident with multiple counts of Possession of a Weapon, Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, Distribution/Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance and Distribution/Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance within 500 feet of a Park.

All persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The undisputed facts indicate the Investigator’s conduct was justifiable under the law, and taking all of the facts into account, all of the evidence supports the conclusion that the discharge was accidental.  Accordingly, our investigation and review of all information failed to disclose sufficient evidence to prove an allegation of criminal conduct against the Investigator.  This statement was prepared and disseminated to the public in accordance with §8 of the Directive.

Released Thursday, November 21, 2019

Two Warrant Officers Die When Their Helicopter Crashes in Afghanistan

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr. (left) and Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle,

Nov. 21, 2019–The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom\’s Sentinel.

Both soldiers died Nov. 20, 2019, in Logar Province, Afghanistan, when their helicopter crashed while providing security for troops on the ground. The incident is under investigation.

The deceased are:

Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle, 33, from Tarrant, Texas.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., 25, from Keaau, Hawaii.

Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

For more information regarding CW2 David C. Knadle and CW2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., media may contact Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, 1st Cavalry Division public affairs officer at 254-287-9398 or

christopher.r.brautigam.mil@mail.mil

.

\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference

(Photo by Steven B. Brooks)

T

he American Legion

NOV 20, 2019

Prior to Veterans Day, American Legion National Commander Bill Oxford

called on Legionnaires

to follow up on the inaugural Buddy Checks to fellow veterans that debuted last March and received National Executive Committee support the following spring.

During the 2019 Spring Meetings, the NEC passed Resolution 18, which calls for the twice-annual Buddy Checks to be conducted Legion-wide on the weeks of The American Legion’s birthday and Veterans Day.

American Legion posts again stepped up. In Weehawken, N.J., members of Post 18

took to the streets

to connect with members of the post who haven’t been active in recent years, including one 91-year-old World War II widower.

“That’s what (non-commissioned officers) do in the service. You’re supposed to check up on your troops,” Post 18 Commander Chris Page said. “We’re charged … with the health and welfare of our troops. What we like to do is check up on our members and make sure they’re OK. We also check in on their families as well. It goes back to helping out with the community.”

And in Fort Gibson, Okla., members of Frank Gladd Post 20 were conducting Buddy Checks and came into contact with an 87-year-old Korean War veteran who hadn’t paid his membership dues in two years. Past Post and District Commander Jim Quinn said the veteran told the post he could no longer make it to post meetings and that his membership in the Legion was no longer important to anyone.

“I was dispatched to the veteran\’s house with his membership card,” Quinn said. “When I arrived at the veteran’s house, he invited me in and we had about a half-hour conversation about the current weather and our time in service. I asked him about his welfare and if there was anything we at the post could do for him. He replied that he was fine but he had trouble driving.”

Quinn left the veteran’s membership card with him and “told him if he needed any help with going places to call the post and we would arrange to take him where he needed to go. He told me he was not in that bad of shape but if he needed help he would call.”

The post processed the veteran’s membership with “Pay It Forward” funds. Two weeks later the veteran called the post and requested Quinn return to his house. “When I arrived he presented me with a check for his 2019 and 2020 dues,” Quinn said. “The moral of this story is cast your bread upon the waters, and it will be returned to you tenfold. An act of faith and kindness shown to this veteran convinced him that his post stands for the ideals of The American Legion and not just to collect dues.”

The following are a few more examples of what posts did on Veterans Day or have developed as programs to follow the Buddy Check philosophy.

• In St. James, N.C., American Legion Post 543 had a busy Veterans Day weekend that included distributing poppies that Saturday, and taking part in a parade and a Veterans Day picnic. A Buddy Check also was performed on Veterans Day, when the post’s honor guard and officers visited the Carillion Assisted Living where – after the colors were presented and the national anthem played – veteran residents were given a challenge coin from the Post 543 Commander George Freeman, and widows of veterans were given U.S. flags representing their loved ones’ service. Post 543 Service Officer Steve Muir said the post also has 70 active programs that regularly reach out to veterans in need in the community. “I must say that what Post 543 does in the Brunswick County, North Carolina community goes way beyond Buddy Checks,” said Muir.

• In Blue Ash, Ohio, American Legion Post 630 has initiated a “Never Alone” program. Coordinating with the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, the post receives notice whenever a veteran with no known family passes away. The post ensures there are veterans graveside to give their fellow veteran the proper farewell. The program was the idea of Post 630 member Pat Buschman.

\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference

<div class=\”entry-body\”>
<div class=\”row\”>
<div class=\”hidden-xs hidden-sm col-md-6 col-lg-6 col-xl-6 header-actions\”>
</div>
</div>
<div class=\”site-banner\” id=\”site-banner\”>
<div class=\”container\”>
<div class=\”row\”>
<nav aria-label=\”Navigation\” class=\”col-sm-12 col-md-12 main-navigation\” id=\”site-navigation\”>
<div class=\”site-navigation-menu-container clearfix\”>
<div class=\”hidden-xs hidden-sm search-wrapper pull-right\”>
<form action=\”https://www.legion.org/sitesearch\” method=\”GET\”>
<p>
</p>
</form>
</div>
</div>
</nav>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class=\”site-main\” id=\”main\”>
<div class=\”container\”>
<div class=\”row\”>
<a name=\”main-content\”>
</a>
<div class=\”content-area col-sm-12 col-md-8 col-lg-7 col-lg-push-2 printable-section\” id=\”primary\”>
<div class=\”site-content\” id=\”content\” role=\”main\”>
<article aria-label=\”\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference\” class=\”post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry node node-web-content node-promoted\” id=\”node-247693\”>
<div class=\”entry-content\”>
<div class=\”entry-thumbnail margin-bottom-10\”>
<img alt=\”\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference\” class=\”attachment-post-thumbnail\” height=\”300\” src=\”https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scalecrop800x479/public/Post%2018%20Buddy%20Check.jpg?itok=4l5IaQAB\” style=\”display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\” typeof=\”foaf:Image\” width=\”501\”/>
<div class=\”photo-caption\”>
(Photo by Steven B. Brooks)
</div>
</div>
<header class=\”entry-header\”>
<h1 class=\”entry-title secondary-2-primary margin-bottom-30\”>
</h1>
<div class=\”entry-meta margin-bottom-30 hidden-print\”>
<div class=\”byline\”>
<strong>
<a href=\”https://www.legion.org/\”>
T
<span style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
he American Legion
</span>
</a>
</strong>
</div>
<div class=\”up clearfix\”>
<span class=\”post-meta-info posted-on gray-icon\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
<time class=\”entry-date published\” datetime=\”2019-11-20 14:00:00\”>
NOV 20, 2019
</time>
</span>
<div class=\”addthis_inline_share_toolbox\” data-description=\”Legionnaires reach out to fellow veterans around Veterans Day, create programs to ensure effort is ongoing. \” data-media=\”https://www.legion.org/sites/legion.org/files/styles/scalecrop800x479/public/Post%2018%20Buddy%20Check.jpg?itok=4l5IaQAB\” data-title=\”\’An act of faith and kindness\’: How Buddy Checks make a difference\” data-url=\”https://www.legion.org/membership/247693/act-faith-and-kindness-how-buddy-checks-make-difference\”>
<div aria-labelledby=\”at-1b87d9b8-c12c-4aee-b8fb-60ce046f99eb\” class=\”at-resp-share-element at-style-responsive addthis-smartlayers addthis-animated at4-show\” id=\”atstbx\” role=\”region\”>
<span class=\”at4-visually-hidden\” id=\”at-1b87d9b8-c12c-4aee-b8fb-60ce046f99eb\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
</span>
<div class=\”at-share-btn-elements\”>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</header>
<div class=\”field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden\”>
<div class=\”field-items\”>
<div class=\”field-item even\”>
<div class=\”story story_05_body\” id=\”17edf402-0d3b-2f30-082d-ff9049a6a264\”>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
Prior to Veterans Day, American Legion National Commander Bill Oxford
<a href=\”https://www.legion.org/commander/247461/time-check-our-battle-buddies\” target=\”_self\”>
called on Legionnaires
</a>
to follow up on the inaugural Buddy Checks to fellow veterans that debuted last March and received National Executive Committee support the following spring.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
During the 2019 Spring Meetings, the NEC passed Resolution 18, which calls for the twice-annual Buddy Checks to be conducted Legion-wide on the weeks of The American Legion’s birthday and Veterans Day.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
American Legion posts again stepped up. In Weehawken, N.J., members of Post 18
<a href=\”https://www.legion.org/veteransday/247626/just-right-thing-do\” target=\”_self\”>
took to the streets
</a>
to connect with members of the post who haven’t been active in recent years, including one 91-year-old World War II widower.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
“That’s what (non-commissioned officers) do in the service. You’re supposed to check up on your troops,” Post 18 Commander Chris Page said. “We’re charged … with the health and welfare of our troops. What we like to do is check up on our members and make sure they’re OK. We also check in on their families as well. It goes back to helping out with the community.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
And in Fort Gibson, Okla., members of Frank Gladd Post 20 were conducting Buddy Checks and came into contact with an 87-year-old Korean War veteran who hadn’t paid his membership dues in two years. Past Post and District Commander Jim Quinn said the veteran told the post he could no longer make it to post meetings and that his membership in the Legion was no longer important to anyone.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
“I was dispatched to the veteran\’s house with his membership card,” Quinn said. “When I arrived at the veteran’s house, he invited me in and we had about a half-hour conversation about the current weather and our time in service. I asked him about his welfare and if there was anything we at the post could do for him. He replied that he was fine but he had trouble driving.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
Quinn left the veteran’s membership card with him and “told him if he needed any help with going places to call the post and we would arrange to take him where he needed to go. He told me he was not in that bad of shape but if he needed help he would call.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
The post processed the veteran’s membership with “Pay It Forward” funds. Two weeks later the veteran called the post and requested Quinn return to his house. “When I arrived he presented me with a check for his 2019 and 2020 dues,” Quinn said. “The moral of this story is cast your bread upon the waters, and it will be returned to you tenfold. An act of faith and kindness shown to this veteran convinced him that his post stands for the ideals of The American Legion and not just to collect dues.”
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
The following are a few more examples of what posts did on Veterans Day or have developed as programs to follow the Buddy Check philosophy.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
• In St. James, N.C., American Legion Post 543 had a busy Veterans Day weekend that included distributing poppies that Saturday, and taking part in a parade and a Veterans Day picnic. A Buddy Check also was performed on Veterans Day, when the post’s honor guard and officers visited the Carillion Assisted Living where – after the colors were presented and the national anthem played – veteran residents were given a challenge coin from the Post 543 Commander George Freeman, and widows of veterans were given U.S. flags representing their loved ones’ service. Post 543 Service Officer Steve Muir said the post also has 70 active programs that regularly reach out to veterans in need in the community. “I must say that what Post 543 does in the Brunswick County, North Carolina community goes way beyond Buddy Checks,” said Muir.
</span>
</p>
<p class=\”para para_body\”>
<span class=\”char char_$ID/[No_character_style]\” style=\”font-family: verdana, geneva;\”>
• In Blue Ash, Ohio, American Legion Post 630 has initiated a “Never Alone” program. Coordinating with the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, the post receives notice whenever a veteran with no known family passes away. The post ensures there are veterans graveside to give their fellow veteran the proper farewell. The program was the idea of Post 630 member Pat Buschman.
</span>
</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</article>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>