Rep. Jennifer McClellan’s Valentines for Vets program is in its third year.
When Jeff Clements was deployed with the Virginia National Guard, he felt there was perhaps nothing better than getting cards and letters from home. “It’s always uplifting, especially if there’s a drawing,” says Clements, now a spokesperson for the Richmond VA Medical Center.
After retirement, Clements adds, many former soldiers still feel the same way — which explains some of the decorating choices at the VA. “The walls at our facility are covered with Veterans Day drawings and valentines,” he says. “You’ll always see veterans stopped in front of them, admiring them, reading them. They’re always appreciative of them.
“I think everybody loves to see things that are hand-drawn and handmade,” he adds. “We love to see the creativity that comes from children, and the effort and time put into it. Some of the things we get are really extraordinary.”
To give thanks to those who have served, Rep. Jennifer McClellan of Virginia’s 4th District runs an annual program called Valentines for Vets. McClellan’s district includes Richmond, Chesterfield and the Tri-Cities and extends to the North Carolina border.
“Veterans are important not only to our district, but to Virginians as a whole,” she says. “We’re trying to make sure we’re hearing from our veterans, what their needs are, in a way that’s helpful — and show them some appreciation, too.”
McClellan addresses veterans at VFW Post 637 in Hopewell on Valentine’s Day 2025.
Now in its third year, the project is announced each January, and cards are due to McClellan’s Richmond and Brunswick offices a month later. They receive over a hundred submissions each year, which McClellan and her staff hand-deliver to veteran-serving organizations throughout the district in time for Valentine’s Day.
“We do outreach with schools, after-school programs, local and state leaders,” says Bianca Casper, McClellan’s special projects director. Individual constituents and people outside the district also participate, she says, adding, “some even outside of the state, that simply saw our social media or found us on Google.”
Located less than 20 minutes from Fort Lee, North Elementary School in Prince George County has participated in Valentines for Vets all three years. “North Elementary has a big population of military students. We have numerous students that have two parents who serve,” guidance counselor Welton Dabney says. “We work to identify what students in each class are military [family members], and we’ll have them share their experiences if they are willing.”
Older kids cut construction paper and glue together creative cards, Dabney says, while little ones color preprinted designs.
Other participating area schools include Brookland Middle School in Henrico, Bensley Elementary School in Chesterfield and Martin Luther King Jr. Preschool in Richmond. “As much as the veterans appreciate them,” McClellan says of the children’s creations, “I think the kids have as much fun making them.”
Last year, McClellan paired her valentine-delivery visit to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 637 in Hopewell with a public town hall. The meeting focused predominantly on veterans’ issues, and representatives from the Virginia Department of Veterans’ Services were on hand to answer questions about benefits, says VFW Operations Manager Cara Buckley.
McClellan talks with a veteran in Hopewell on Valentine’s Day 2025.
This year, McClellan spent time at the VA Medical Center in Richmond. “We try to mix it up a little bit,” she says, “but this year, we’re working with the VA because it’s pretty central, and they’ve got a lot of people coming through.”
Her visit on Friday, Feb. 13, coincided with National Salute to Veteran Patients Week, meaning the canteen at the VA was even more crowded than usual. “We have hundreds of people that pass through for lunch,” Clements says. “Our average patient load is pretty heavy, but with the Salute to Veteran Patients Week cookout going on in the multipurpose room, I’m sure that the congresswoman [met] quite a few people.”
“The last time she came, the visit brought a lot of gratitude — a lot of smiles in our halls and in our canteen,” Clements adds.
At these appearances, McClellan hands out resources including information on work-study programs, health care benefits, veterans’ case worker contacts and more. “At the VA, we get to have very direct interaction,” she says.
This year, not even the prolonged ice and snow in early February could freeze the flood of valentines, McClellan adds. “It’s a fun way to honor [veterans] outside of the normal veteran appreciation month in November,” she says. “We want to show them some love year-round.”
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