LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Veterans at VFW Post 1181 gave back to the community through donating blood, strengthening their connection with others.

What You Need To Know

  • A VFW post supported the community in a unique way

  • Veterans at VFW Post 1181 gave back by donating blood  

  • Army veteran Mike Fowler donates around every 10 weeks

  • The National Veterans of Foreign Wars has 1.4 million members in the VFW and VFW Auxiliary

Around every 10 weeks, Army veteran Mike Fowler sits in a donor chair. He said when his time comes, he tries to give. 

"I was in 1969 and '70 and during the Vietnam era," Fowler said. "I didn't go to Vietnam; I worked in the Pentagon." 

He said he was a Pentagon Counterintelligence Force.

"My grandfather served in World War I; my father served in World War II," Fowler said. "I had uncles in the Korean War. It was my turn."

He’s a member of the VFW Post 1181.

"This is our first blood drive," said Stephen Kanfield, post-commander. "I'm hoping our mission as a VFW is to get out to the community, bring people in and help veterans."

"One of the reasons that I joined the VFW is my mental health wasn't the greatest. I didn't have a purpose. So having events like this, having a place to go and having blood drives and other events outside and stuff like that, it gets veterans here. It gives us a purpose; it shows that we're still worth something."

He said he has had several transfusions in his own life and now hopes this drive with the American Red Cross will help veterans have a purpose to give back to the community.

"One of the things with the blood drive is it doesn't involve a whole heck of a lot on the veteran side," Kanfield said. "And because a lot of us are still young, we have jobs. We have careers that we've still got to work on before we can retire."

"This is a 'Hey, come in for 30 minutes on your lunch break,' or something like that. Come in and donate some blood. You're showing that you know you're here to support the community, support the post and the Red Cross and then you go right back to your job." 

Veterans can pop in and out and stay connected.

"I'm blessed to be healthy enough to give blood still ... I've got good veins, so they can stick it in there the first time and I'm good," Fowler said.

The National Veterans of Foreign Wars said it has 1.4 million members in the VFW and VFW Auxiliary. In 2019, they said their membership added 25,000 members, breaking a 27-year decline in membership.

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