I can recall going to the soldiers' home with my grandmother and other ladies in our Auxiliary when I was eight or nine years old. Some of the veterans couldn't come to the recreation room, so we would take home-baked muffins to them. Even then, I knew there was something special about what we were doing.

I felt that same special feeling when we would gather at my Grandma Biddle's house to sew pads. It was the same feeling I noticed at the DAV hall when we would have a strawberry social or our annual ham dinner and bazaar. At that age, I didn't realize what we did at the soldier's home was volunteering. I also didn't know the monies realized from the strawberry social and the bazaar were used to buy the canteen books and refreshments for the parties we had for hospitalized veterans.

Years later, my son, Ken, Jr., stated that as a young boy helping patients at a bingo party at a VA medical center, he could not understand why the veterans seemed so happy to receive those little coupon books they could use in the canteen. Then, he got older and realized it wasn't the canteen books but the volunteers coming to be with them that made the patients happy and brightened their day.

When we were young, neither of us knew we were practicing comradeship, loyalty, devotion, and service. We had no idea those four words are the principles cherished by the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary. Nor did we understand how much more than just words they are, that those words are also the heart and soul of the dedicated volunteers who unselfishly give of their time and talents each and every day in so many ways. We only knew that what we were doing was a good thing.

That's what volunteering is all about, doing good things for others, and each of us has something to offer as a volunteer. You can let your Auxiliary light shine as a volunteer even from your home. Are you that Auxiliary member who can sew, knit, or crochet? You could make lap robes for your VA or a local nursing home to add a little warmth to a veteran. How about mittens for the children in your community who are in need? When you bake that batch of cookies, set some of them aside to take to a neighbor caring for a disabled spouse. Better yet, volunteer to stay with the disabled spouse to allow the caregiver to go shopping or just take a break.

Don't forget the juniors in your Auxiliary Unit. Let Junior Auxiliary members help make tray favors, cards for special occasions or serve refreshments at your next event. Juniors are welcome in most facilities, but be sure to check with the facility to see at what age they allow young people to assist in certain areas. And don't forget how much elderly patients enjoy interacting with children as another means of communication with the world.

Think of what it would mean if each of us would do one deed of kindness for one person. The total would reach staggering numbers of good works for others. As one person, you cannot do everything, but you can do something, and that something can mean so much to others and to you. That's right. You get that special something that feels so good when you help others. Just ask any volunteer.