Veterans: Voices, Support, Scholarships for Veterans – Westerly Sun
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Women Warriors, Hear Our Voices
The public is invited as women from across Rhode Island share their military experiences through poems, stories, essays, and readings. Hear the experiences of Rachael Garcia – Air Force Iraq, Mary Goff – Army Vietnam, Maija Hill – Army Somalia, and Dora Vasquez-Hellner – Army Panama. 30 Aug 2025, 5–7 PM, Amancio, Falcone, Gaccione VFW Post 8955, 113 Beach St., Westerly. A reception will follow the presentations.
Veterans in Crisis
Project Outreach is here to assist, at no cost, all Westerly and surrounding community veterans in gaining access to the VA and eligibility for all benefits and programs they offer. The program is staffed by certified Chapter Service Officers who have attended the yearly Disabled American Veterans training. The Service Officer provides the proper VA forms and guidance to properly complete required documents, ensuring that veterans have proper representation at the VA. If a veteran is not in the VA system, they or their family are not eligible for the full range of services and benefits the VA offers.
Hours:
VFW Post 8955: First Wednesday, third Monday, and third Thursday of each month at 5 p.m.
Senior Center: Second Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Library: Second Friday, 10–11 a.m. For appointments, call 401-596-0470.
Scholarships
The Veterans of Foreign Wars is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $35,000 college scholarship, or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.
Voice of Democracy
Since 1947, the Voice of Democracy has been the VFW’s premier scholarship program. Each year, nearly 27,000 high school students compete for more than $1.4 million in scholarships and incentives. Students compete by writing and recording an audio essay on an annual patriotic theme.
This year’s theme is: “How Are You Showing Patriotism and Support for Our Country?”
Prizes and scholarships can be awarded at the Post, District, State, and National levels. Department (State) winners receive an allexpense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to tour the city and be honored by the VFW and its Auxiliary. The top scholarship is $35,000.
The Voice of Democracy is open to students in grades 9–12 by the Oct. 31 deadline who are enrolled in a public, private, or parochial high school or home study program in the United States, its territories, and possessions, or dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application for which has not been denied) and intend to become U.S. citizens at the earliest opportunity allowed by law. Foreign exchange students, students age 20 or over, GED, or Adult Education students are ineligible.
Patriot’s Pen
Patriot’s Pen is open to sixth, seventh and eighth grade students enrolled by the Oct. 31 deadline in public, private or parochial schools in the U.S., its territories or its possessions; or dependents of U.S. military or civilian personnel in overseas schools. Home-schooled students also are eligible. Although U.S. citizenship is not required, students must be lawful U.S. permanent residents or have applied for permanent residence (the application which has not been denied) and intend to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law. Foreign exchange students are ineligible.
Conducted nationwide, this VFW-sponsored youth essay competition gives students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. We invite you to join the more than 60,000 students who participated last year in this contest. This year’s theme is, “How Are You Showing Patriotism And
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