| Special Message from the National VA&R Chairman |
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| Department of Mississippi |
American Legion Auxiliary
Coupon-Clipping for Military Families
You may have seen a few more media hits about the coupon-clipping efforts of some American Legion Auxiliary unit members.
MSNBC.com has developed a web-only story about the ladies in Greenbelt, Maryland, and AARP Bulletin has written a story
about some members from Unit 37 in Iowa. Both outlets understand that the coupon-clipping program is successful on its
current grass-roots level, and that we want to ensure commissaries are not suddenly overwhelmed by the public due to
unanticipated national media coverage. MSNBC.com is framing its story around a group of women in a retirement community,
and while the story will not air on the Nightly News with Brian Williams, local affiliates may pick it up.
We are directing inquires from the general public to visit www.commissaries.com/locations and asking individuals to contact the
commissaries directly to find out if they are accepting coupons at this time and how to send the coupons to them. National
headquarters does not accept coupons.
Here's the background
For several years, coupon-clipping has been one of the American Legion Auxiliary's activities that support veterans, members of
the military and their families. Up to 1,500 of the Auxiliary's 10,000 community-based units may participate each year, sending
cents-off coupons to those military installations overseas that accept coupons to help families stretch their grocery dollars.
The Auxiliary recommends that unless members/units have an established contact with a Commissary Director who has agreed
to accept the coupons, they should assume stateside bases have access to coupons in local papers/circulars and online.
Coupon-clipping is just one small, but important, way unit members can support our mission. Many recent American Legion
Auxiliary initiatives have expanded to a more direct, hands-on approach to supporting the families of our fighting men and women
on the home front. Auxiliary members help care for military families in their communities, from providing toys and birthday cards
for children of deployed soldiers to extending moral and financial support to a deployed soldier's family in an emergency.
You may have seen a few more media hits about the coupon-clipping efforts of some American Legion Auxiliary unit members.
MSNBC.com has developed a web-only story about the ladies in Greenbelt, Maryland, and AARP Bulletin has written a story
about some members from Unit 37 in Iowa. Both outlets understand that the coupon-clipping program is successful on its
current grass-roots level, and that we want to ensure commissaries are not suddenly overwhelmed by the public due to
unanticipated national media coverage. MSNBC.com is framing its story around a group of women in a retirement community,
and while the story will not air on the Nightly News with Brian Williams, local affiliates may pick it up.
We are directing inquires from the general public to visit www.commissaries.com/locations and asking individuals to contact the
commissaries directly to find out if they are accepting coupons at this time and how to send the coupons to them. National
headquarters does not accept coupons.
Here's the background
For several years, coupon-clipping has been one of the American Legion Auxiliary's activities that support veterans, members of
the military and their families. Up to 1,500 of the Auxiliary's 10,000 community-based units may participate each year, sending
cents-off coupons to those military installations overseas that accept coupons to help families stretch their grocery dollars.
The Auxiliary recommends that unless members/units have an established contact with a Commissary Director who has agreed
to accept the coupons, they should assume stateside bases have access to coupons in local papers/circulars and online.
Coupon-clipping is just one small, but important, way unit members can support our mission. Many recent American Legion
Auxiliary initiatives have expanded to a more direct, hands-on approach to supporting the families of our fighting men and women
on the home front. Auxiliary members help care for military families in their communities, from providing toys and birthday cards
for children of deployed soldiers to extending moral and financial support to a deployed soldier's family in an emergency.
