Retired Air Force Veteran Lends a Hand to VA Initiatives

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Mark Huffman. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Mark Huffman enlisted in the United States Air Force not long out of high school, uninterested in college and disillusioned after six months of work in a factory. In a stroke of luck, he met his wife soon after, at his first post in the Netherlands. She, herself, joined the U.S. Air Force upon their return to the States and later had a long stint in the Indiana Army National Guard.

After nearly two decades in the Air Force, Mark left for a second, multi-decade career as a manager and director of the engineering, biomed and security departments of a hospital. His final retirement began three years ago when he walked away from his paid role and into a voluntary one.

Mark has recently received his pin for 7,500 miles of driving veterans to and from doctor appointments for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), going above and beyond for patients who have appointments like chemotherapy that end outside the typical driving period. He serves coffee and chats with patients as they wait for appointments and even registers people for vaccines at the annual Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic. Now 65, he enjoys supporting those who shared the experiences of the military and babysitting his grandson while plotting out future travel with his wife.

What inspires you to volunteer?

We did a lot of volunteer work in the service. We’d do car washes and other fundraisers for different organizations. When I retired from my hospital job, I found it hard to fill my time. I went into the VA one day to get a flu shot, and the director of the volunteers who was registering folks knew my wife from veterans’ organizations. She asked me if I’d be interested in volunteering, and 30 days later, I was vetted, badged and driving veterans.

Tell us about your volunteer role with the VA and DAV.

I normally drive one day a week on a Wednesday from around 5:30 am to 1:30 pm. We pick up our riders from all over Porter County, some who live 30-40 minutes apart. Then, we bring them to and from either the Adam Benjamin VA in Crown Point or to meet the shuttle for the Jesse Brown VA in Chicago. I also volunteer if they need additional drivers for other areas, even if I’m not scheduled to drive.

For about four hours on Monday mornings, I volunteer at the VA to serve free coffee and cookies to veterans and their families waiting for appointments. It’s a chance for us to talk and trade old war stories. That’s how we keep the memories alive, and it makes the wait time less stressful.

I also volunteer for the annual Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic registering veterans as they line up in their cars for vaccines. We provide traffic control into the VA Clinic and parking lot, too. We had a record of over 700 shots over the course of the three-day event.

What was the PACT Act Claims Event?

This is the first year I’ve volunteered to escort and provide refreshments. The PACT Act expands healthcare benefits for veterans and their survivors who were exposed to toxic substances during their service. This event helps people file first-time claims. 147 individuals came–men, women, families, dependents of vets who have passed–to see what benefits are available to them through the VA. Organizations from Indianapolis and Chicago helped them fill out paperwork and get started.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

You see a lot of folks from all walks of life, and it’s interesting to hear their stories. You look at us now, at 60 and 65, and it’s hard to believe that we were the young hard chargers when we were 18 and 19 years old.

For many veterans, I’m sometimes the only person they see in a week. Most don’t have cars or can’t drive anymore, so they don’t get out much. It’s nice just to see how they’re doing and if there’s anything we can do to help them out. It’s rewarding just to let them know that there are still people out there who care for them.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I’ve learned a lot about the workings of the VA and the benefits available to vets and their dependents. I encourage anyone that’s a veteran or who has some kind of disability from the service to see a Veteran Service Officer or a DAV representative to find out if they–or their family–are eligible for anything. There are a lot of programs out there. You just have to know where to look.

Once my wife retired from the Army National Guard, she became a Veteran Service officer, and her full-time job now is enrolling veterans in their benefit programs. Earlier on, the military wasn’t letting veterans know what was going on. But now they tell them what’s available to them when they get out. They can have Transition Assistance Programs help them transition to being a civilian and show them different organizations like the DAV and the VA.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

Budgets are tight, and volunteers do a lot of work. It helps the VA offer these programs and create new ones without having to find more money to do these things.

Where would you recommend people start if they’re interested in helping veterans?

Contact a DAV representative, a Veteran Service officer or the VA itself. One of my bosses is a Volunteer Service Specialist for the Center for Development and Civic Engagement. They’re also great to speak with to get you started on the road to volunteering.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Go out there and volunteer. Do something. Every little bit helps. You never know what your interaction could do to help a person make it through their day.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Mark? Find local volunteer opportunities.