Title – Adopt-A-Vet

By – Charesse Hicks

Primary Subject – Social Studies

Secondary Subjects – Language Arts

Grade Level – any grade level

Second graders at Chapin Elementary adopt veterans, one per class, from the CW Tucker Nursing Center in Columbia, SC. Chosen are veterans who do not have family in the area, whose families are destitute and can’t help them at all, or those who have few visitors, etc. Throughout the year, children make cards, collect toiletries, gifts such as candies, socks, pajamas, hats, radios, etc. and teachers deliver these items/cards to the veterans. In turn, the veterans, who are extremely excited to be remembered throughout the year, including on their birthdays, send our classes pictures of themselves, both during actual military service as well as current pictures, notes, etc. One family who was so very impressed with the work one class did for their veteran grandfather, actually moved from another state to Chapin and enrolled the children in our school. What an honor.

Another activity that we engaged in, until the veteran died, was invite a WWII vet to our class. He shared wartime relics and pictures. He talked about his “adventures” during his service as a foot soldier in the Infantry. Sgt. Ret. Branham visited second grade at Chapin Elementary for several years. His wife and children would always bring popsicles on one of the last days of school to share with the children, as a way of saying thank you for honoring Mr. Branham. He was killed in a car accident a few years ago. Many of the children wrote poems, prayers and sent cards to Mrs. Branham. One of the poems was read at his funeral.

These experiences have proven to be most beneficial in a number of ways to both our children, the veterans and their families.

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Charesse Hicks

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