04/24/2024
Meet Layla!
The twelve-year-old seventh grader is the 2023-2024 "Buddy"® Poppy Child for the VFW National Home. She lives with her mother, brothers and German Shepherd. She is very proud of her mom, a Navy veteran who was deployed four times, and loves living at the National Home "because we have a home that is safe and beautiful."
As the 2023-2024 "Buddy"® Poppy Child, Layla joins in on a tradition that dates back nearly a century. Until 1986, the selected child was always a girl, and in the past, the first poppy of the season was gifted directly to the President of the United States. She is pictured here with her mom and brothers at the VFW National Home Valentine's Day dance (photo originally shared to Facebook by the VFW National Home).