We challenge you to circulate our coveted new coins. If you own a Veterans Memorial Building Challenge Coin, thank YOU for thanking our soldiers who have served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. We just distributed an additional 15 coins at our Welcome Home Ceremony on December 27!
It has always been youth who have defended freedom for all of us. The average age was 26 in WWII but the average age to enter our current military is 19. We send off immature sons and daughters who return shortly as young adults, confidently leading us into the future. But there is a difference between those wars. Technological advances in medicine bring back many soldiers who would not have survived in earlier conflicts. Those who return, injured or not, have endured the stress of contact, missed years of their children’s lives and have returned to a poor economic climate, and more.
They return with needs to find new careers, bring skills up to date at school, or rehabilitate major injuries. The current Veterans Hall offers NO SERVICES. But our new Hall will include resource offices, small rooms available for counseling and health services, library resources, and job fairs. Your donations are a very tangible way to thank our veterans.
Our beautiful Challenge Coins feature our restored historical hall on the face and a majestic eagle soaring over Mt. Diablo on the reverse, encircled with a shiny gold braid. This collectible coin was designed by a wonderfully talented local artist, Linda Sada. (You can read the unofficial military history of Challenge Coins on Wikipedia.)
Just look at the new resources that our donors will provide to our veterans:
- Multiple Venues: Our new auditorium will be enlarged and be divisible into three separate rooms for simultaneous activities.
- Veteran’s Wing: The historic entry will provide entry into the separate Veterans Wing.
- Military Library: Our new Hall will have an operating library of military history.
- Storage: Our new basement will be expanded significantly to allow for storage of military artifacts, files for our veteran organizations, and equipment.
- Displays: Our new Veterans Wing will have permanent cases available to display rotating veteran exhibits.
- Accessible Facilities: Our new community space will feature modern, accessible restrooms in three locations for, say, a wedding, a Veterans meeting, and senior films all at the same time.
- Offices: One small office will be replaced with separate offices available for scheduling, small consultations, operations, etc.
- Green: Inefficient HVAC will be replaced with state of-the-art HVAC, including solar panels.
- Multiple Kitchens: A tunnel kitchen will be replaced with a new catering kitchen downstairs and a small Veterans kitchen upstairs.
- Quiet Conversations: An unattractive porch on Prospect will be succeeded by a glass-walled lobby where users can enjoy quiet conversations, reading, or networking.
Blank walls will now showcase a donor plaque to thank all of you who have shown such gratitude to our soldiers—past and future.
In this New Year, let’s rejoice and be grateful for our freedoms in America. Here is a new opportunity to thank our soldiers on the front line—own a Challenge Coin.
We hope you will be one of those who receive a Challenge Coin in exchange for your first $500 donation towards the Veterans Memorial Building. Then “show it off!” Put that coin in your right hand and “challenge” others to be part of this 100 year old tradition the next time you shake hands!