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As we honor the brave men and women who’ve protected our freedoms, both past and present, it’s important we do our part to ensure our veterans are never forgotten.

“We hope to be a blessing to them and their families and in turn they’re a blessing to us,� expressed Floyd Tut Fann Veterans Home Director Charlotte Robinson.

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“Just to know some of these folks," said Robinson, who's spent two decades under this roof. "Some great people, great people over the years working with them, our WWII Veterans, our Korean War Veterans, our Vietnam Veterans and even some Gulf War Veterans that we have here now. It's just amazing some of the stories we get to enjoy hearing.�

“Every one of them has a story to share," explained Terry Townson.

Townson is an Air Force veteran and president of the Home’s Family Council. For him, this mission is personal.

“They’ve served us and I think we need to serve them," he said. "You have to coax these stories out of these men and women. They’re there, but you have to spend time, so I think it also on the flip side helps them feel valued. You're not just tossed away, people do care about what’s happened.�

He witnessed the toll the isolation had during COVID on his father, Korean War Veteran Charles Townson, who also served in the Air Force. Living at Tut Fann has helped him reconnect socially.

Both Townson and Robinson agree there’s no time like the present to connect with some of our nation’s bravest, and it doesn't take much.

“We’re losing so much. Our young people don’t understand and don’t realize what our country has been through," Robinson said.

"If you smile at someone, they’re going to smile back and so sometimes that’s all it takes to sit down and chat with somebody," she continued. "Smile at someone, they need a smile. Sometimes they just need a hug, they don’t have company to come and visit with them. Sometimes a lot of their family members have already passed on and they may have one or two family members that can come and visit with them, so they don’t have a lot of family that can come and visit, so it’s great to have folks from our community that come out and visit with them for a variety of things.�

“If you had a group or someone that was willing to come in and sit in the room, just to have a conversation, that would carry a lot of weight I believe because that goes back again to the, 'Hey, I’m valued. I’m not forgotten,'" echoed Townson.

If you would like to learn how you can volunteer at Tut Fann Veterans Home, you can contact Director of Activities/Volunteer Coordinator Tavia Gay at 256-852-5170 ext. 2270 or at tgay@hmrvsi.com.

For the full interview with Floyd Tut Fann Veterans Home Director Charlotte Robinson, see the video below: