Paying homage to veterans: 500+ old flags collected for proper retirement in community

This year's second annual flag collection drive held by SAFE Credit Union officially wrapped up with more than 500 old, worn and damaged flags properly prepared for retirement, thanks to help from local veterans and other community volunteers. The flag collection drive launched Memorial Day weekend and concluded July 30. During that time, the community was invited to bring aging flags to one of 17 SAFE Credit Union branches in the Sacramento area, its headquarters in Folsom and at the Aerospace Museum of California. A volunteer group of SAFE employees, VALOR (Veterans and Loved Ones Resource) along with other community volunteers gathered several times during the collection drive to prepare the flags for proper retirement. VALOR forwarded the flags to Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 6604 in Folsom, whose members also helped ready the flags. The flags will then be given to American Legion Post 363 in Folsom, which conducts and arranges retirement ceremonies in adherence to the U.S. Flag Code. For many community volunteers, a group which included veterans and loved ones of veterans, these flag-folding events were extremely fulfilling and an act of respect to those who served the country. "There's a lot of care and appreciation that goes into every single one of these flags that we're folding," said Connor Jensen, a Folsom resident. "For me as an Army veteran coming to SAFE, I was very excited about the opportunity to join VALOR and give back to the community in this way." "I support the military, and I just want to be here to support our community. I did not expect this many people," said Michelle Porter, a Folsom resident who volunteered at a flag-folding event. "My brother-in-law retired from the military, so I like to show support," explained Danielle Juarez, a West Roseville resident and volunteer at a recent flag-folding event. "He was in the Air Force." Of folding the flag, she said, "It was more challenging than I thought it would be." SAFE Credit Union Executive Vice President and VALOR executive sponsor Mike McCarthy said these flag collection events are a way to celebrate and support the company's many employees and members who are active National Guard and reservists, veterans and families of active and retired military. "VALOR recognizes that our United States flag is not only an important symbol of our nation and military but has special meaning to many of our employees, members and those in our communities," said McCarthy. More than 500 flags were collected by SAFE from Sacramento and Placer counties; last year, it collected nearly 300.