By Teresa Galgano, Director of Member Relations
Amazing work, BVA team! In the July-September quarter alone, we welcomed a fantastic 72 new members into our BVA family! If we keep up this incredible momentum, we will be on track to welcome 288 new members by the end of the fiscal year. Can we aim for an inspiring milestone of 300 new members by the close of July?
An astonishing 70 percent of our new members, a total of 49 individuals, were introduced to us by fellow BVA members, a testament to the tremendous strength and unity within our BVA community and the effectiveness of members reaching out to potential members.
Let’s break down the numbers further: The southeast area is leading the way, with the Louisiana/Mississippi Regional Group bringing in nine new members since July 1, closely followed by Alabama with five new members. Arkansas and the Carolinas have each added four new members while Southern California is close behind with three new members.
Additionally, ten regional groups, including Charles Register, Georgia, Heartland, Illinois, Mid-Atlantic, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Texas, and Tennessee, have successfully recruited two new members each. A big shout-out to Florida, Greater Houston, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Rocky Mountain for each bringing in one new member!
Notably, there were also ten new at-large members who joined our ranks. A heartfelt thank you to all our BVA Ambassadors who are dedicating their time at VA to help us grow. Remember, we’re only as strong as our members, and your commitment is truly commendable!
Now, let’s get to know our new members: Among them, six are women and an impressive 29 are Vietnam Veterans. In recognition of their incredible service, our three World War II veterans received complimentary memberships. Following the Vietnam era, the Gulf War veterans stand strong with ten members. Our youngest new member, at the age of 29, is still in the Navy, while our most seasoned new member is an incredible 97 years young.
Our organization is a vibrant tapestry of diverse experiences, but our unwavering focus remains on blinded veterans helping blinded veterans. Together, we are a source of hope, support, and strength for one another.
