NORFOLK, Va. — Serving all members of the community — especially veterans and active-duty service members — is becoming tougher for American Legion Post 37.
On Thursday, volunteers packed boxes of food, donated by Operation Blessing, to distribute to the community this weekend.
American Legion Post 37 has been around since 1920, Commander Alonzo Scott tells News 3. One of the main services they provide is helping transitioning military members file claims with Veterans Affairs — something that can be complicated, yet crucial for their budget.
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Scott gave an example of a soldier who had returned from Iraq, was getting out of the military, had a new baby with his wife, and asked for help.
“He didn’t have any money. He was getting ready to get kicked out of the apartment,” said Scott. “We assisted them with finding a temporary location and he got backpay of $84,000. That was very important to that young family trying to come out of the military.”
Scott says they have 300 members and that the $65 a year membership fee is the only steady income they have. The rest is from donations from individuals and businesses.
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“We are down to $6,000 in our account, which means our food program and the myriad of services we provide to our area veterans and the community are all in jeopardy,” Scott shared.
One reason for this is rising rent costs. The legion post has had to move three times in the past five years.
Currently, they rent a space on the second floor of a building on Kennebeck Avenue; however, there is no elevator, which means it's wheelchair accessible.
Scott is hoping a local business will come forward with a low-rent, ground-level space where they can relocate.
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Meantime, he says they’ll continue serving the community the best they can.
Their next food distribution event will be Saturday, Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. - 1p.m. at its current location, 5201 Kennebeck Ave., in the Azalea Gardens area of Norfolk.
For information on donating to American Legion Post 37, click here.
