Guest blog post by Department of Kansas Unit 200 member Jenny Reed 
 
Holyrood, Kan., Unit 200 members found an inexpensive and easy way to boost community awareness of the American Legion Auxiliary and fulfill our ALA mission to mentor youth and promote patriotism.

Once a month, a class from our local elementary school comes to The American Legion hall to entertain the older adults (most of whom are Legion members). The students may sing songs, read a story, or even play a math game. The members are delighted, and the kids have fun showing their new learned talents. 

As a way to show our appreciation and share the ideals important to us, our Auxiliary members voted to purchase ALA coloring books to distribute to the students. We thought the America the Beautiful coloring books were a great resource to convey the message of love for God, country, and community. The American Legion Auxiliary mission statement on the back page also informs the reader the purpose of the Auxiliary — we even added our local contact information.

This year, we expanded the program and gifted our local elementary school 240 America the Beautiful coloring books to ensure that every student received one.