4/15/2025 8:30:00 AM
April is National Volunteer Month and the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) has plenty to celebrate this month and throughout the year. MDVA is grateful for the many volunteers from across the state who regularly give their time and talents to the eight Minnesota Veterans Homes.
If you’re thinking of becoming a volunteer with MDVA, here are six volunteer profiles to help share what the experience is like:
John Reuter volunteered to serve in the Vietnam War and he’s kept that volunteer spirit front and center—from serving as a volunteer firefighter to spending time with Residents of the Bemidji Veterans Home.
As a former County Veterans Service Officer for Cass County, John spent years helping to make the Veterans Home in Bemidji a reality before it opened in 2024.
Today, John and his fellow members of the In Country Vietnam Motorcycle Club volunteer their time and donate to facilitate weekly bingo games on Tuesdays, plus special events like a Super Bowl pizza party.
John shares a standout memory and says, “There was one Resident who never played bingo but always came to watch. When that person passed away, they had a service at the Home, and we stayed and lined up to salute him.”
In addition to the other local events the motorcycle club participates in—like the Ride for the Troops in Bemidji or transporting Veterans to the airport for a Freedom Honor Flight—John says there is a great return in volunteering at the Veterans Home. “You can make someone’s day a little brighter and that’s satisfying. We try to get the guys laughing. Plus, there’s a real camaraderie among volunteers.”
Paul Larson and his wife Ardis regularly visit the Montevideo Veterans Home to volunteer. During the visits, they invite community members to join in on having coffee with Residents on Tuesdays and playing games on Thursdays.
A former officer with the local chapter of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paul also uses his volunteering to help Residents understand they likely qualify for DAV membership.
Thinking of his service in the Army, Paul says, “I remember coming home among Vietnam War protests. Since the Veterans Home is just blocks from my house, I try to ensure all the Veterans there feel welcome. I want to be friendly and help them have a pleasurable experience.”
Paul believes Veterans are special and shares, “You develop friendships with the Veterans and their families. The rewards of volunteering there are enormous. It really makes you thankful for your own life.”
Since 2010, Navy Veteran Rick Iszlar and a group of friends known as Legacy Lake Fishing volunteers provide weekly opportunities for Residents of the Silver Bay Veterans Home to fish a private trout pond near Finland, MN from June through September.
The group continues this tradition in honor of their friend Larry Schanno, who passed away in 2017. Larry owned the land where the pond was established and wanted it to be his legacy. In 2013, Larry invited Rick, plus Bob and Dianne Buus, to become the board of directors for the group to ensure it would continue to be shared with others to enjoy. Today, Rick maintains the pond, plus storage and surrounding areas, and cleans the fish the Veterans catch.
Over the years, the pond has been upgraded with additional support from local organizations, including asphalt that makes it easier for Residents in wheelchairs to navigate. A telescoping flagpole that flies the American and POW flags, featuring a solar panel to ensure the flags are illuminated at night, was also added. Each fishing day with Residents begins facing the flag while the national anthem is played.
“We try to catch and release as much as we can but keep some of the fish. Those fish are then smoked and brought back as a snack for those fishing the following week,” says Rick. “There’s lots of socializing. They can enjoy the outdoors, and we can see the joy in their eyes and smiles.”
When Sandy Gibson retired, she joined the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA), which was looking for volunteers to help at the Minneapolis Veterans Home. Since Sandy’s brother, an Air Force Veteran, is a Resident, she thought it made sense to add on to her visits with volunteering.
Today, Sandy spends the first and third Wednesday of each month setting up, staffing and taking down the Distribution Shop. Sandy’s husband, a Navy Veteran, comes to help, too.
Distribution Shop is an opportunity for Residents to shop at no cost for a piece of clothing and up to two personal care items. “Plus, I always have candy there,” says Sandy.
Sandy gets ideas from Residents and staff members alike for how to use the donation money from ALA to stock the shop. In addition to the ALA, the VFW Auxiliary facilitates a similar Distribution Shop on different days.
“Residents will come down to talk or get a hug while they shop,” she says. “A new Resident wanted to start a writing class, and asked if I could get pads of paper for the Residents who participate. Now, he tells me how the class is going.”
Around the year-end holidays, the Distribution Shop transforms into a gift shop where Residents can pick out a gift for themselves and a loved one. Sandy shares a memorable Wednesday experience, “One time, a Resident tearfully told me, ‘I didn’t think I would ever get to buy my wife a gift again. Thank you!’”
Mentioning that volunteers are always needed, Sandy says, “The joy and pleasure that volunteering there gives me is beyond. It’s just one way I can thank Veterans for their service.”
As a grandchild, child, and spouse of Veterans, Wanda Prescher is actively involved in the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA). The ALA mission begins with “In the spirit of Service, Not Self,” which Wanda says extends to the Preston community. “In southeastern Minnesota, it’s overwhelming. You ask and no one hesitates to help.”
Since the Minnesota Veterans Home in Preston opened in 2024, the Department of Minnesota ALA has helped with whatever is needed, according to Wanda, who is the representative for the Preston Veterans Home. As the Home’s first official volunteer, Wanda is involved in a variety of activities including:
“Having spent a day with a Veteran, just letting them talk, you come away feeling so rewarded. It makes my day,” says Wanda.
Since the Hastings Veterans Home opened in 1978, Navy Veteran and member of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post Jim Murtaugh has been volunteering there. Always amenable to pitch in on whatever is necessary—including occasional volunteer hours at the Minneapolis Veterans Home—Jim’s volunteer activities have included, “A little of everything.”
Over the years, Jim has driven Domiciliary Program Residents to appointments, helped with bingo games and made a barbecue from a barrel for Veterans to enjoy. One of Jim’s long-term commitments has been in the clothing room, which is open twice a month. Any Resident can come in to pick two clothing items.
For anyone considering volunteering with a Veterans Home, Jim says, “Residents need the help and are so appreciative. Something you can do is help out. Help when you can—you don’t have to be there every day.”
Hundreds of volunteers donate thousands of hours each year to help our Homes deliver programming that keeps Veterans active and engaged. Their passion for our mission of serving those who served consistently inspires us and we’re grateful for their support. Thank you to all volunteers!
