In times of disaster, you can count on The American Legion

Hurricane Hermine is just the latest reminder that natural disasters can strike at any time and in any place. As wildfires burned throughout large swaths of California and floods devastated Louisiana, Hermine wreaked havoc on our eastern seaboard.

Fortunately, The American Legion has always advocated a preparedness and response strategy. During our first half century, we worked closely with the Red Cross by assisting victims with housing, food, supplies and clean-up after catastrophic events. After Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf Coast in 1969, the National Executive Committee created the National Emergency Fund as a one-time project to award grants to eligible Legion Family members and posts. The program was resurrected and made permanent after Hurricane Hugo roared into the Carolinas in 1989. Grants of up to $3,000 are now awarded to eligible individuals and $10,000 to Legion posts. More than $8 million of assistance has been delivered by the NEF since the program’s creation. Click here to contribute to the NEF.

In addition to the devastating impact natural disasters have on lives and homes, communications often collapse when cellular towers are destroyed and satellites fail. The American Legion Amateur (Ham) Radio Club (TALARC) was established in 2011 with such emergencies in mind. Membership is free to the more than 2,900 Legion, Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion federally licensed members, some of who work closely with the Department of Homeland Security and other emergency management agencies in support of civil defense. A number of American Legion posts from California to Georgia and many states in-between have established their own stations or clubs on post premises. Chances are there is a station near your community. A partial list can be found here.

Former House Speaker Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill famously said, “All politics is local.” While this is certainly true for disaster response, Americans historically pull together in times of need. The American Legion realizes that its three-million-member family organization has significant resources that can benefit our members and the communities overall.

From emergency shelters to ambulance services, the heroic responses of our American Legion posts and departments during times of crises are too numerous to name here. But one of the great characteristics of The American Legion is that we have global reach – with 55 departments in the United States and overseas.

If you are affected by a declared natural disaster, call 800¬-433¬-3318 or visit www.legion.org/emergency to request assistance. Donations are always needed and 100 percent of donated funds go to the grants. You can learn more about our ham radio club by visiting www.legion.org/hamradio or by emailing k9TAL@legion.org.

There are many reasons to be a proud member of The American Legion Family. Our “devotion to mutual helpfulness” – especially when it comes to helping out disaster victims from Hurricane Hermine and others – has to be near the top of the list.