Since she was 14, Rita Navarreté has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, devoted to serving our veterans, military, and their families. She started as a Junior member, and she would often go with her mom and sister to ALA meetings. She and her sister would help clean up once the meeting was over, which normally led to a reward in the form of tasty treats. 

As Rita grew older and learned more about the organization, she began to realize just how much she truly valued the ALA, God, and country. This led to her attending ALA Girls State and getting more involved at the unit, state, and national levels. Once Rita entered the workforce as an adult, she would organize many events to recognize our veterans and servicemembers within her workplace at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

“I asked if I could put a flyer in the break room and say we are going to recognize all veterans. Anyone interested can sign up, and [the turnout] was just amazing. From then on, every patriotic holiday we would get together and we would recognize our veterans,” she said. “Our actions just showed our respect, and they knew our words were from the heart.”

Along with organizing special events to recognize veterans, Rita also gives generously to the American Legion Auxiliary Foundation through a monthly gift. The ALA Foundation is a gold mine of resources and connections: all dedicated to helping veterans, military, and their families for generations to come. Rita knows that by giving monthly to the ALA Foundation, her donation will be used to better the lives of these brave men and women. 

“I just knew the money was going to be used for veterans and our mission,” she said. 

However, for Rita, this monthly gift not only helps veterans, military, and their families, it also provides her with a special joy that comes only when giving to a cause that truly means the world. 

“It’s convenient, but it’s convenient just because it enriches my value of something I believe to be the right thing,” she said. 

Thanks to Rita and her generosity, the ALA Foundation can continue to remain a gold mine of resources and connections, all geared toward helping the brave men and women we owe our freedom to. 

You can join Rita and help our nation’s heroes for generations to come by starting a monthly gift to the ALA Foundation and join Heroes Giving Hope: a group of monthly donors helping veterans, military, and their families one monthly donation at a time. Start your monthly gift today, help veterans and servicemembers in need, and experience the joy of giving to worthy a cause. 

By Zac Felty, Staff Writer