What Counts as ALA Community Service

The Community Service Program Engagement Plan challenges ALA members to become visible within our communities by working on service projects and collaborating with other organizations so that more people recognize the American Legion Auxiliary’s local efforts to support our veterans, servicemembers, their families, and our communities.

Because the work of the Community Service Committee overlaps with many other committees, here is a guide for what gets reported as community service.

Things that count as Community Service

American Legion Family Day
Any activities done for the National Days of Service:
- MLK National Day of Service
- 9/11 National Day of Service
Service volunteered — with or without your unit — to benefit the community. This includes service at your local library, domestic violence shelter, senior citizen center, assisted living centers, nursing homes, place of worship, and more.
Service where all community members are together. For example, those using a food pantry are likely not identified as a veteran or member of their family.
Volunteer service with no clear beneficiary like landscaping or cleaning a community park or other public area.

Things that do **NOT** count as Community Service

Something reported in another committee’s report.
- We celebrate all service, but please only report your service in one committee.
Any hours for VAVS.
Directly assisting a veteran, servicemember, or a member of their family (this should go under VA&R, National Security, or Children & Youth).
- For example, volunteering somewhere like the Fisher House or a stand down would go under VA&R, volunteering at a Yellow Ribbon event would go under National Security, etc.
Tithes to a place of worship.

Narrative Reports

Consider keeping a log of your volunteer service over the year to help when it comes time to write annual narrative reports. For narrative reports, think about where the project fits best. If the activity you’re reporting on was on a sticky note, and you can only put the sticky on one committee, which would you choose?

Impact Numbers

In addition to keeping a log of the volunteer service activities you participate in throughout the year, you should also track every hour you spend planning, preparing, and performing those activities for Impact Numbers. You can find helpful tracking tools on the Impact Numbers page here: Impact Numbers Report Form

If you have questions regarding a specific activity, please email CommunityService@ALAforVeterans.org.

What Counts as ALA Community Service?