November Meeting Recap: New Members, Community Resources, and the Spirit of Giving

Posted Date: 12/5/2025

We are playing a little bit of catch-up today! We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far and enjoyed a fantastic Thanksgiving with loved ones.

Before we head fully into December, we wanted to recap last week’s November monthly meeting at Highland AMVETS Post 44. It was a fantastic evening filled with fellowship, important updates, and a true display of the heart behind our organization.

We started the evening right with a delicious dinner provided by Firehouse Subs in Cookeville. It was great to break bread together before getting down to business.

Growing Our Ranks

We are thrilled to announce that our post is growing. During the November meeting, we had the honor of swearing in five new members, including a veteran couple joining our ranks together. We extend a warm Highland AMVETS welcome to all of you!

Honoring Service through Quilts of Valor

The highlight of the evening was a special presentation by Jill from the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Jill shared the inspiring mission of QOV: to cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor. It is a beautiful way to tangibly honor their service and sacrifice.

A key takeaway from the presentation is that anyone can apply to have a veteran recognized with a quilt. If there is a veteran in your life you would like to honor, please visit their website to learn about the application process, at https://www.qovf.org/

We were so moved by the presentation that Post 44 joined together to donate $500 to the organization. Furthermore, many individual veterans in the room felt called to give cash straight "from veterans' hearts" to support this wonderful cause.

Crucial Community Resources

During the business portion of the meeting, we briefed the room on two vital resources available to our local veteran community:

1. Defender’s Retreat: We discussed Defender's Retreat, an organization dedicated to supporting veterans and first responders. They offer a variety of services, including pavilion rentals, wedding venues, and spaces for musical events and stage rentals. For more, go to https://defendersretreat.com/

   
   

2. Putnam County Veterans Community Page: We also highlighted the Putnam County Veterans Community page. This is a fantastic, centralized resource hub for "all things veteran" in our immediate area. We encourage everyone to bookmark this page, at https://putnamcountytn.gov/veteran-community

A Commitment to Our Community

We discussed many ongoing and upcoming community projects during the meeting. We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our donors throughout the community. It is your continued support and generosity that makes everything we do possible—from holding these monthly gatherings to supporting great causes like Quilts of Valor. Thank you for standing with us.

A Holiday Call to Action

As always, our eyes and ears are open to those struggling in our area. If you know someone in need, please do not hesitate to contact the post so we can determine how best to help.

As we enter the deeper part of this holiday season, let us remember the spirit of brotherhood that defines AMVETS. Please make an effort to check in on each other, offer a hand to someone struggling, or share a meal. The post’s message is clear: community and service go hand in hand, especially during times when support is most needed. Let’s come together in the true spirit of the season.

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting!