For the second year in a row, the Ross Medical Education Center campus in Portage held a Valentines for Vets event. Students from the Medical Assistant, Medical Insurance Billing and Office Administration, Dental Assistant, and Veterinary Assistant programs made 100 Valentine’s Day cards by hand for veterans this February. Once all of the cards were completed, they were then delivered by Karrie Messenger, Career Development Representative, to the VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. They were distributed to hospitalized veterans of the United States Armed Forces on Friday, February 13th to hopefully bring a little happiness and love to them this cold winter.
The VA Medical Center in Battle Creek has been in operation since 1924 and offers a wide-range of health care services to a 20-county area of southwestern Michigan. According to their website, their vision is “to be a patient centered integrated health care organization for Veterans providing excellence in healthcare, research, and education; an organization where people choose to work; an active community partner and a back-up for national emergencies.” Karrie, Portage’s Career Development Representative, delivered the valentines to a VA representative. When the cards were delivered, Karrie said, “the VA representative thanked our students for taking the time to honor the veterans.” The VA distributed the cards to veterans who are currently being treated at the hospital facility.
This event gives our students, faculty, and staff a chance to recognize and thank our local veterans for their service. Many organizations collect cards and letters for veterans around Christmas and Thanksgiving, but the campus wanted to be sure that these local heroes were remembered and thanked at other times throughout the year as well. Valentine’s Day is a holiday where many are overlooked, and the Ross Portage community got to be a part of changing that. Everyone at the campus enjoys holding this event each year to show their appreciation to veterans in their community.
More information about the VA Medical Center in Battle Creek can be found here: http://www.battlecreek.va.gov/about/index.asp.