BEMIDJI 鈥� After 100 years, the Bemidji chapter of Disabled American Veterans is still serving the community, going out on cold mornings and collecting donations that help veterans in need and their families.
Founded in 1924 as the seventh chapter in the state, the organization鈥檚 presence is most visible through its drop-off boxes, bright green metal containers that can be found outside of grocery stores and on street corners that collect donations of clothes, shoes and household items.
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Twice a week in the early hours of the morning, members of the DAV 鈥� often veterans themselves 鈥� collect the items and bring them back to the chapter鈥檚 headquarters on the edge of town.
Met by a team of volunteers, the items are loaded into the back of a truck and sent off to a thrift store chain that pays the Minnesota DAV 5.3 cents per pound of clothing and 3.5 cents per pound of miscellaneous household goods.
While the payout may seem small, with the sheer amount of donations received from the community, the DAV is able to help veterans pay electrical bills and cover other expenses when they鈥檙e struggling financially.
鈥淲e鈥檙e lucky to have the support of the community the huge amount that we do,鈥� shared Gene Schwantes, the commander of Bemidji鈥檚 chapter. 鈥淭he folks that we help, they鈥檙e really down and out. They don鈥檛 have another way to pay for these things.鈥�
In addition to helping veterans pay bills, the Bemidji chapter also provides medical equipment such as wheelchairs, scooters and even hospital beds. With the number of aging veterans in northern Minnesota, this service has been warmly welcomed by those in need.
鈥淢edical equipment is a huge thing in our community, we go through quite a bit. Last year we handed out 159 items,鈥� Schwantes said. 鈥淧hysical therapists and nurses come to us because we鈥檙e faster than Veterans Affairs. They can have a wheelchair within the hour.鈥�
But the chapter doesn鈥檛 just help elderly veterans, it also helps younger veterans attending college and those who have young families. Any veteran in need can reach out for assistance.
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鈥淲e鈥檝e helped people when their car broke down, enabling them to get to their part-time job or keeping them from having to drop out (of university),鈥� Schwantes shared. 鈥淲e鈥檙e problem solvers.鈥�
A sense of community
As much as the DAV serves veterans through its charity, it also helps its volunteers by creating a sense of community. Volunteers talk and laugh as they load the donations onto trucks, and the group sits down for coffee and snacks after their work is done.
鈥淰olunteering is basically a free physical fitness program,鈥� Schwantes joked, 鈥渁nd we provide donuts.鈥�
While many of the members are veterans themselves, and most of them are retired or near retirement, the organization takes volunteers of all kinds 鈥� old and young, veteran and civilian.
鈥淲e're really a bunch of nice people. We have (volunteers of) all age brackets, and you don鈥檛 have to make it every week,鈥� Schwantes said. 鈥淓very day you do show up we鈥檙e happy to have somebody.鈥�
The camaraderie isn鈥檛 the only selling point 鈥� Gary Guggenberger shared the fulfillment that he feels helping the community through his work with the DAV.
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鈥淚t means a lot when you see people who need a lift chair or a wheelchair and we鈥檙e able to help them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t takes this burden off of their back, and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e here for.鈥�
Many of the members have been volunteers for years, or even decades. Glenn Aagard, who鈥檚 78, has been with the chapter for more than 20 years.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e just got to keep moving,鈥� he said. 鈥淕etting together with people and working, giving back to the community, I think that鈥檚 the way God wants it to be.鈥�
With 100 years of service behind it, the Bemidji chapter of the DAV is looking toward the future and keeping its charity going. To help facilitate that, Guggenberger hopes that more people consider joining in on the fun and good work.
鈥淚 just encourage everyone, veteran or not, to join a service organization,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need the numbers and it鈥檚 a great way to help the community.鈥�
For more information on volunteering with the DAV or getting help for a veteran in need, visit
The Trust Project
