Darlene Wondra is a lifelong giver. In 1975, when she first became an American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) member, she started volunteering at Minnesota Veterans Homes - Hastings. Whether it was helping to trim the tree at Christmas, staffing the ALA Gift Shop program or playing bingo with Veterans, Darlene made sure needs were covered on a regular basis.

She served as the ALA’s 3rd District President from 2001 to 2002 and the Department of Minnesota ALA President from 2010 to 2011; for the past 13 years, she has served Veterans as the ALA Department of Minnesota Hospital Representative, driving two hours each week to and from Montgomery, Minnesota to volunteer.

As ALA Representative, she assists with a variety of activities to benefit Veterans Home Residents: visiting on the first Tuesday of each month to escort birthday celebrants to lunch in the community; working in the onsite distribution room so that Veterans can pick up personal care items provided by the ALA; mending /sewing Veterans clothing; and supporting numerous social events including holiday parties, venison dinners and bingo.

“I love walking into the building and seeing the Veterans’ faces light up,” says Darlene. “They ask, ‘What are you doing here today, what’s going on?’ Seeing their excitement is so delightful. It makes me want to keep coming back.”

Darlene’s dedication to Veterans was inspired by her family’s passion for, and promise to, serving their country. Her father was in the Army and gave much of his post-service time to the American Legion; her brother was in the Air Force for more than 21 years and her uncle was in the Navy.

Darlene notes that the best part of volunteering is getting to know people at the Veterans Home on an individual basis. “Their talents are endless – singing, painting, woodworking, knitting (to mention a few), and it’s fun listening to them when they come back from an outing. Being a good listener is part of my volunteer commitment.”

Many special memories live close to her heart from the decades she’s spent volunteering at the Home. She recalls one Resident who was a wood carver; earlier on, he had carved statues of Mary, Joseph, Jesus and the Stations of the Cross at a church in Wisconsin. She and a couple of colleagues accompanied him back to that location to admire his work and share in his recollections about the project. She has also discovered Veterans who had participated in the drum and bugle corps but hadn’t picked up an instrument in years. “I’ve learned about the many talents of our Veterans,” says Darlene. “Their past musical moments are today’s musical memories.”

Robert Vandenbos, Veterans Resource Coordinator, Minnesota Veterans Homes -Domiciliary Program, Hastings and Minneapolis, states that Darlene is a remarkable volunteer. “Her consistency in time, her passion and her kindness toward our Veteran Residents is amazing. She is always willing to go above and beyond.”