President’s Report November 2023
To: All AFHM Members and Supporters
Let the holiday season begin! With Thanksgiving a few days away and the Christmas holiday to follow i hope everyone is looking forward to enjoying this time of year to spend it with family and friends. We have much to be thankful for and need to embrace that and stay positive, especially during these difficult times. AFHM is no exception with the following highlights realized over this past month:
– Represented AFHM as part of a Burlington Mercer Chamber member participant entry in the Bordentown annual Halloween Parade on October 29th, handing out candy along the 3 mile parade route
– Attended the JerseyMan/PhillyMan Magazine annual “Unmasking” gala at The Ben in Philadelphia on November 2nd, along with VP Bryan Branson and Burlington Mercer Chamber board member Christie Leigh. Another great turnout of 400+ attendees for this regional business networking social that also honored six non-profit organizations with monetary recognition awards
– Presided over our 12th Annual Fundraising dinner that honored Burlington Mercer Chamber president Bill Ryan and included a powerful presentation by General George Washington (AKA Sam Davis). A great evening indeed with an unofficial total of $10,000 raised in support of our mission programs and admistrative budget expenses. Thanks to all those members and board staff who worked to make this event a success, and to the contributing sponsors and donors as well
– Promoted AFHM via a private dinner function at the Live! Casino’s Prime Rib restaurant with a small group of prominent business leaders, as well as at a Greater Burlington Chamber event as a featured speaker. Also attended a monthly meeting of the Military Officer’s of America Association (MOAA) at the Joint Base
– Participated in the Shawnee High School Veterans Day event, led by Col. Bob vonBargen, on November 8th. This program continued its succes with 20+ Veterans who volunteered their time to speak to students in a classroom setting. Well done all!
– Continued to market the organization’s private label wine offerings with an agreement to promote their sale at the Villa Mannino restaurant in Bordentown. A similar arrangement is being sought with Cathy’s Catering in Riverton who has had success with area business event functions
– Made a connection with a video production and podcast enterprise for possible project support initiatives. An exploratory meeting and Lawrence House tour is pending
– Enrolled AFHM in an annual “Giving Tuesday” fundraising campaign via the Mightycause organization toward potentially bolstering our revenue potential on a wider, national outreach platform. The campaign got an early start this week and will formally be launched on November 28th
– Presented a $10,000 check from the Kenneth O. Nelson Scholarship Trust to fund JROTC seniors in 2024 with $1000 scholarships at area high schools (e.g. Rancocas Valley Regional, Northern Burlington). This will mark the third year of awarding such scholarships from the Trust, with a plan to continue it on an annual, ongoing basis God willing
In closing I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving, and all the best for the holiday season. Enjoy.
P.S. Please join us for a holiday lunch social at O’Connor’s on December 15th. I look forward to seeing you there as we wrap up another most successful year!
Respectfully submitted,
Roy Plummer, President AFHM Www.afhmus.org
