Durham Veteran & Service Dog Honored by VFW for #StillServing

Durham veteran Melissa Culbreth and her service dog Lea who are being honored for dedication to country and community in the VFW #StillServing campaign. The national Veterans of Foreign Wars #StillServing (vfw.org/stillserving) campaign recognizes veterans who continue to serve in their community after the military.

Culbreth credits Lea with enabling her to engage in life again. She received the now seven-year-old Border Collie/Terrier mix to help with her feel comfortable going out in public and alerting her to her anxiety. Together the duo has #StillServed as volunteers with the special needs program at a local elementary school. Culbreth taught meditative movement to the kids and Lea brought her own therapeutic relationship, even becoming part of some students’ Individualized Educational Plan*. Lea also helped Culbreth through her chemotherapy treatments.

Culbreth says she is #StillServing because the desire to serve others did not end with her military service.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) launched #StillServing, a campaign to highlight how America’s combat veterans continue to serve in their local communities after transitioning from the military, in March 2020. What started as a campaign became a movement as veterans across the country stepped up to share stories of how they are still serving. Nearly 2,000 veteran stories have been shared through news coverage, website features and magazine and newsletter articles.

"Veterans are the pillars of our communities,” said Duane Sarmiento, VFW national commander. “Their unwavering dedication to service echoes beyond their time in the military. The VFW #StillServing campaign was launched in 2020 to acknowledge and highlight the service leadership veterans bring to our society. Now, in its third year, the instances of veterans who’re still serving in meaningful and impactful ways continue to pour in from around the world.”

According to the 2021 Veterans Civic Health Index*, veterans average nearly 30 percent more volunteer hours per year and outpace civilians 15 percent in charitable donations. Additionally, nearly 40 percent more veterans belong to a group working on community issues and veterans are more like to be registered to vote (7 percent) and have recently voted (6 percent).

Since its launch, more than 2 million people have engaged with the campaign and nearly 2,000 veterans have shared their personal stories of continued service, stories that have been shared in nearly 700 news outlets around the world.

Building on a legacy of service that spans more than a century, #StillServing represents the heart of the VFW and its members and conveys what today’s VFW embodies. The VFW encourages all veterans to share stories on social media using #StillServing to show how they continue to answer the call to serve in ways big and small. In addition, family or friends are asked to use #StillServing in social media posts to honor a veteran in their lives who believes the spirit of service transcends military life.

The VFW urges Americans to visit vfw.org/stillserving to learn more about the campaign, make a shareable image honoring veterans in their lives, watch videos of VFW members making a difference and see a collection of user-generated content.

*2021 Veterans Civic Health Index