The DAR is a volunteer service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children. The Belleville Chapter, NSDAR, members support a wide variety of projects that work toward those goals, some of which are:
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Veterans Home in Marion, Illinois: Annually our chapter collects clothing, such as socks and t-shirts, toiletries, and cash to donate to the Veterans Home in Marion, Illinois.
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Women Veterans: Belleville Chapter, NSDAR, worked with Past Illinois State Regent, Luanne Bruckner, to erect a statue in Mt. Vernon, Illinois honoring women veterans. The statue is the first in Illinois to honor the service of women. DAR volunteers give special support to our nation's women veterans, especially the sick, the homeless, and the lonely. Chapters provide support and volunteer in special healthcare programs and in the Adopt-A-Veteran Program. Clothing is collected and donated to facilities for women veterans, as well as donations of gifts and personal care items. Provide support for maternity services for female veterans with gift baskets for the new baby and mother.
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Honor Flight: Our chapter works to raise funds to sponsor the one day trip to Washington D.C. for WWII veterans. There the veterans tour the WWII Memorial, other monuments, and Arlington National Cemetery.
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Veteran's History Project: Historic Preservation is one of the primary objectives of the NSDAR. First-hand interviews have been conducted with veterans of WWI, WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, and those U.S. citizen civilians that were actively involved in supporting war efforts. Their personal stories and experiences are being recorded and will be preserved by the Library of Congress in the American Folklife Center.
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DAR Good Citizens Project: The DAR Good Citizens program and scholarship contest is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship. The program is open to all senior class students enrolled in accredited public or private secondary schools that are in good standing with their state Boards of Education. United States citizenship is not required.
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Naturalization Ceremony: For many years, our chapter has welcomed new citizens at Naturalization Ceremonies in our area. Our chapter gives a short speech of welcome and then presents each new citizen with a small memento honoring the occasion.
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Genealogy Workshops: The chapter holds periodic genealogy workshops which are open to the public, as well as those geared to current members wishing to enhance their research skills.
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DAR School: Promotion of education is one of the three primary objectives adopted in the original Bylaws of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. There are many schools supported by NSDAR. Belleville Chapter, NSDAR, supports them as well. Currently, Belleville Chapter, NSDAR, members donate clothing and gift items as additional assistance to the students at two schools, Tamassee DAR School (Tamassee, SC) and Bacone College (Muskogee, OK).