Each year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Women Veterans sponsors an annual campaign in honor of Women’s History Month and throughout the year celebrates the contributions of these trailblazers and women veterans, representing all military branches, during and after their military service. The campaign showcases the impact these trailblazers have made on a single event or action or demonstrated over time in the areas of education, employment, entrepreneurship, homelessness, law, mental health, and wellness. This year, Louisiana’s own Sandra Franks is honored as one of the 27 women veteran trailblazers.

Franks served in United States Air Force for 23 years and retired in 1997. During her career, she was the first woman to serve as First Sergeant of a Rescue and Recovery Squadron. She was promoted to Master Sergeant under the Stripes for Exceptional Performers. She is the recipient of several awards to include Airman, NCO, Senior NCO, and First Sergeant of the Year.

In 2007, she joined Overton Brooks VA Medical Center as the public affairs officer, which she held until 2014. She is a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans and maintains a state office as the women veterans coordinator. She is a member of the Women’s Healthcare Committee at Overton Brooks VA Medical Center and is the Community Veterans Engagement Board’s co-chair.

In 2017, she founded a non-profit organization to serve women veterans. Women Veterans of the Ark-La-Tex is the most prominent women veterans organization in Louisiana and the only women veterans group servicing east Texas and southwestern Arkansas. The mission of WVALT is to honor and assist women veterans who have and continue to pave the way to serve our country freely.

In addition to starting the women veterans’ group, Franks spearheaded a fundraising campaign that brought a women veterans’ monument to fruition in the local community. Fundraising for the memorial took over three years to raise approximately $90,000 to complete the project. The statue is a bronze, one-of-a-kind, life-size statue of a woman warrior in battle dress uniform. She stands on a granite pedestal with the inscription, “Dedicated to those who have, those who are, and those who will serve our great Nation,” and a granite base with the five bronze service seal.

Do you have a desire to serve in your community? Have you been looking to volunteer but don’t know where to start? Volunteer Louisiana is here to get you connected and involved in service to your community.

Established in 1993, under the Office of Lieutenant Governor, Volunteer Louisiana’s mission is to promote civic and community engagement and meet Louisiana’s citizens’ needs through volunteerism and national service. As the state service commission, Volunteer Louisiana is uniquely positioned to promote civic engagement and connect our citizens to service as a solution to our most pressing problems.

Volunteer Louisiana currently awards and administers AmeriCorps and Volunteer Generation Fund grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and promotes volunteerism through training, recognition, and a statewide online volunteer management system. Volunteer Louisiana also assists in the state’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) with coordinating spontaneous, unaffiliated volunteers statewide in times of disaster.

Volunteer Louisiana manages 15 AmeriCorps programs with 1,000 AmeriCorps members serving in 25 parishes. Volunteer Louisiana also manages a current portfolio of 18 Volunteer Generation Fund grants with a particular focus on disaster recovery.

Volunteer Louisiana engages citizens of all skills, interests, and abilities to serve through our online Volunteer Management System at VolunteerLouisiana.gov. Louisianans volunteer over 129 million hours per year, with an annual economic impact of $2.1 billion for our state. Volunteer Louisiana recognizes the significant contribution by volunteers through the Louisiana Volunteer Service Awards and the Community Service Diploma Endorsement. During the 2016 floods, Volunteer Louisiana connected thousands of volunteers with volunteer opportunities. It created an orderly communication system and management that minimized self-deployment and interference with the response and recovery efforts.

As Volunteer Louisiana continues to move forward, connecting volunteers with opportunities throughout the state, working to enhance emergency and disaster planning, and providing national service opportunities in our state, we can use your help!

For more information on volunteering in Louisiana, please visit our website at VolunteerLouisiana.gov.