Long before the name appeared in Madison, the “Donut Dollies” were a familiar sight to American troops stationed in war zones.
During World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War, women volunteers with the American Red Cross traveled to military bases and field hospitals to lift the spirits of service members. Rather than serving in combat roles, they delivered small comforts — coffee, donuts, games, and conversation — offering soldiers a reminder of home during some of the most difficult moments of war.
The nickname stuck, and decades later the spirit of those volunteers is alive and well in Madison, Alabama, where a group of women has adopted the same name while carrying forward the same mission of appreciation.
The modern-day Donut Dollies gather on the first Tuesday of each month to serve coffee, donuts, and conversation to local veterans.
The group, made up of volunteers from Madison Methodist Church, focuses on building community and creating a welcoming space where veterans can gather, share stories and feel appreciated for their service.
“We meet here to serve the veterans. We got kind of hooked into it,” Carol Moats, president of Madison Methodist Women, told local reporters. “We thought, Oh, that’s a way we can serve an easy way, and it blesses us more than it does them, really.”
While donuts and coffee are the centerpiece, the gathering is about much more than refreshments. The monthly event provides a place where veterans from different eras and backgrounds can come together in fellowship.
“It’s a blessing for us, these men, no matter where they served, how they served, if they were in a conflict or not, they served our country,” Moats said. “It’s the least we can do is to give back to them, to love on them, to just bring a little bit of joy to them every month.”
Moats also said the name “Donut Dollies” was chosen as a tribute to the original women who supported American troops during wartime, whose example helped inspire the Madison group’s efforts.
Though today’s volunteers are serving in a church fellowship setting rather than a war zone, the goal remains similar to that of the original Donut Dollies — offering appreciation, connection and a reminder that the sacrifices of service members are not forgotten.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
