Las Vegas post meets needs of low-income vets

Las Vegas post meets needs of low-income vets

Through its Operation Vegas Heroes program, American Legion Paradise Post 149 in Las Vegas provides food, basic necessities and financial support to local veterans in need. Over the past seven years, the program has donated more than 1,000 cubic feet of goods to a local food pantry serving veterans and has received nearly $17,000 in donations to assist veterans.

Operation Vegas Heroes was established after Post 149, which is largely comprised of Legion Riders, learned that Las Vegas veterans in subsidized housing were struggling to put food on the table, oftentimes forgoing everyday necessities to keep a roof over their head or to eat. “That simply was not acceptable,” said Victor “Doc” Moss, Post 149 adjutant and a Legion Rider. So the post began collecting food and toiletries for the Veterans Care Assistance Program food bank, which works with VA social workers to identify low-income veterans in need.

The post collects items for the food bank by setting up a table at supermarkets and handing out lists of items needed to shoppers wanting to show support. Moss said they have discovered that “people will spend far more money for goods than the cash they would otherwise donate, with some people literally buying the entire shopping list, which is probably worth $30 or more.” Additionally, thanks to Post 149’s active Facebook page and website, local organizations have offered to conduct collections as well. For example, an Italian restaurant is asking for non-perishable food as the entry fee into a dinner and dance it’s hosting this holiday season.

“It doesn’t take a huge effort for a post to become more community-oriented,” Moss said. “Our post home is a small executive office that doubles as a meeting hall, but we like to tell people that our post is where we happen to be at the time they ask. Las Vegas is our post home.”

Monetary donations are also collected at supermarkets, but the biggest financial fundraiser for Post 149's Operation Vegas Heroes program is during the annual Las Vegas BikeFest. Legion Riders set up a booth at the event and place a five-gallon water jug on a table, with a goal of filling it. As an added incentive to receive donations, Riders ask BikeFest attendees to sign banners that read “Las Vegas, Nevada, Supports Our Troops.” When the banners are covered in signatures, the post sends them to troops deployed overseas. And in return, the troops send photos back to the post with them holding the signs.

An example of how Post 149 has used monetary donations to assist a veteran who didn't qualify for financial support through the VA or Legion programs, such as Temporary Financial Assistance, is by repairing one veteran's broken-down vehicle. The veteran had a new job offer, which would allow him to continue to pay child support and keep him from becoming homeless, but he was stranded without the vehicle. “He got the job, his children are still taken care of, and we have a new member of The American Legion,” Moss said.

“What I get the most from seeing the other (post members) involvement (in the Operation Vegas Heroes program) is knowing that if someone simply is willing to lead, others are sure to follow," Moss added. "Seeing the satisfaction they get out of helping, and the pride they take in being part of such an unconventional post, motivates me to keep doing what I do for the good of the Legion, and the good of mankind. If I can do my small part to keep my post members on the right track, I know that my post will be successful for years to come.”