Coast Guard Birthday & Acts of Kindness at your local military museum

By JON BALDWIN
Clay Township Military Library & Museum

Clay Township Military Library and Museum – Hamilton County’s only public military museum – is preparing for a special day on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and we’d like you to be part of it.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the museum will host two connected events:

1. U.S. Coast Guard Birthday at the Museum

1. • In our main museum space, we’ll highlight Coast Guard service with displays and related materials.
   • Visitors are welcome to drop in, browse exhibits, and learn more about the Coast Guard’s role in our nation’s history.

1. Veteran Hospitality & Story Corner – Acts of Kindness Day

1. • In our small library room (seating for six to eight), we will operate a Hospitality & Story Corner as our contribution to the Jim Irsay 1976 Acts of Kindness Day, part of Carmel’s 50th‑anniversary celebration.
   • Veterans and their families will be invited to share brief “kindness stories” – moments of kindness experienced in service or after returning home – and to be added to our Honor Roll, where their service can be remembered by future generations.
   • This quiet room will be staffed by museum volunteers and volunteers from Kiwanis and Rotary, creating a calm, respectful space for conversation and remembrance.

Our mission is to honor veterans through stories and remembrance, and August 4 gives us a chance to do that in a focused way while joining the broader community effort to complete 1,976 acts of kindness in honor of Jim Irsay.

Call for volunteers & visitors

• If you are a veteran or family member, we would be honored to welcome you, hear a brief kindness story if you’re comfortable sharing, and add you or your loved one to our Honor Roll.
• If you would like to volunteer, we are still organizing three‑hour shifts between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., both in the main museum space and in the library room. Even a single three‑hour window can make a meaningful difference.
• If you simply wish to visit and support, your presence helps show that our community cares about Coast Guard service, all veterans, and the preservation of their stories.

To learn more or to indicate interest in volunteering or visiting, please email jonebaldwin@gmail.com. Thank you for your continued support as we revitalize the museum and build new partnerships through events like these.