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Flag waving, parades, public ceremonies and oratory have their places in the American way of life, but for patriotism with permanent foundations, one needs only to look at the VFW National Home at Eaton Rapids, Michigan. Yes, the VFW National Home is an ever-growing example of patriotism, but it’s more than the love of one’s country ... it’s the love of one’s fellow man.
Foreign Service May 1944
At the VFW National Home for Children there is not a dormitory in sight. Instead, the National Home is a neighborhood of 74 buildings on 629 acres of land. Children and families live in 36 single family homes and two duplexes. Support buildings include a Community Center, Guest Lodge, Chapel, library, children’s computer lab, Greenhouse, Nursery School, maintenance buildings, Museum, Fire Barn and administrative buildings.
The National Home is like a small city with its own water wells, water treatment plant, fire hydrants, telephone system, transportation department and day care center. Seated on the banks of the Grand River, the main campus of the National Home fills approximately 70 acres of land. A local farmer leases a significant portion of land for crops, and expansive wooded areas make up the remainder of the sprawling campus.
Although the National Home is practically self-contained, it depends on the city of Eaton Rapids for electricity, Consumer’s Energy for natural gas, Onondaga Township for primary fire protection and local businesses for trash removal and lawn care.
The most distinctive elements of the National Home are the individual brick houses, carefully plotted throughout the campus in a neighborhood fashion. Each home bears the name of the organization that sponsors the upkeep and maintenance of the building. The National Ladies Auxiliary also sponsors a major portion of the maintenance and upkeep of the community center, guest lodge, nursery and health and education building.
House and building sponsors have committed to care for the long-term
improvements of each house. Each home sponor has a maintenance plan to keep the facility in
prime condition, including:
- Kitchen and bathroom remodeling
- Carpet installation
- Interior painting
- Window replacement
- Roofing
- Siding
- Basic furnishing
- Decoration
A dedicated team of maintenance workers cares for the day-to-day needs of all buildings and grounds on campus. In the winter, maintenance personnel remove ice and snow from streets and sidewalks. In the summer, maintenance workers beautify the campus with plants and flowers for the summer tour season. Staff has also been trained in specialized tasks such as maintenance of the sewage disposal system, telephone repair, building security and locksmith work, appliance repair, water treatment and the responsibility for an ongoing preventative maintenance program.
Words can’t describe the beauty of the National Home campus. Check out a map of the main campus, take a photo tour to get a more accurate vision of this beautiful, living memorial or contact the National Home to take a tour.
New! To view the National Home's Welcome Brochure with campus information, click here.
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