Throughout the end of 2025, members of The American Legion Family helped others celebrate the holidays.
Throughout the holidays, American Legion Family members nationwide provided various forms of assistance to help those in need and others in the community celebrate properly. Those efforts included distributing gifts, providing financial assistance and delivered much-needed food items.
But those efforts didn’t stop on Christmas. They continued on that day, as well as past it – including during American Legion National Commander Dan K. Wiley’s official visit to The American Legion Department of Latin America.
Wiley shared highlights of his visit to the department on Facebook, which included providing humanitarian aid to residents there.
Those efforts included:
Delivering toys to 300 children and humanitarian aid to families near Chimaltenango, Guatemala, donated by Antigua American Legion Post 2.
Delivering food and household items purchased by Antigua Post 2 to needy Mayan families in the El Tunino village.
Delivering 45 humanitarian food packages to Mayan villages in San Jose Pacul and El Manzanal, Guatemala. Antigua Post 2 also provides scholarships to select children that provide the entire cost of their secondary education. The post also provided an electronic tablet to a 14-year-old girl who is working her way towards college.
“The appreciation expressed was overwhelming,” Wiley wrote on Facebook. “The people are so kind, welcoming, and grateful. American Legion Post 2 is not only giving back to the community, but they are uplifting the community to break the cycle of poverty. Making a difference in the community and the lives of people, it’s what The American Legion does.”
The following are a few more examples of the Legion Family’s holiday assistance efforts. If you haven’t done so already, please share how you provided help to your community during the holidays by posting your stories and photos at www.legiontown.org.
Arizona
In Douglas, Fred Hilburn Post 11 and the Tailgaterz Truck Club hosted an annual toy drive distribution for 17 families with 58 children in Douglas and Bisbee.
Iowa
In Cresco, American Legion Post 135 will host a free Christmas dinner on Jan. 11 for the families of deployed servicemembers. The post also will be putting together care packages for deployed servicemembers and are inviting the families to assist with the effort.
Florida
· In Labelle, American Legion Post 130 provided 593 free Christmas Day meals to members of the community. The meals were available for pickup or were delivered for free to those residents who couldn’t make it into the post.
· In St. James City, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 136 hosted its annual Pancakes with Santa event, bringing holiday cheer to more than 40 local children and their families. The event included a pancake breakfast, activities, story time, and a visit by Mr. and Mrs. Clause, as well as one of Santa’s elves. Each child received a Christmas present.
Iowa
In Gladbrook, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 127 again took the lead in organizing the annual Kids Shopping Day. Despite the presence of a significant winter storm, 171 children were able to pick out gifts for their loved ones. The shopping took place at Peace Church; supporters of the event included area churches and organizations, including Post 127, the Gladbrook Corn Carnival Corp., the Gladbrook Commercial Club, the Gladbrook Women’s Club, the Gladbrook Lions Club and others.
Attendees fill out a gift list with the names of family members for whom they would like to shop. After picking out items, the children go to wrapping stations to prepare their gifts to present to their loved ones.
“They’re just so proud of their gifts. … It (really does) make you cry,” said Jeanne Paustian, who serves as chairman of Kids Shopping Day as a member of Unit 127’s Children & Youth Committee. “It is a Gladbrook Christmas tradition that we plan to continue for years to come.”
Kansas
The Department of Kansas American Legion Family continued its longtime support of Fort Riley servicemembers and their families with another edition of Operation North Pole. On Dec. 6, members of the Legion, Auxiliary, Sons of The American Legion and American Legion Riders came together to provide gift cards and candy from Santa to more than 250 children of deployed servicemembers, as well as those families going through the base’s Medical Evaluation Board process, the New Parent Support Program, the Exceptional Family Member Program and Survivor Outreach Services.
Legion Family members who volunteered for the event were encouraged to wear Christmas costumes.
Minnesota
In Ironton, Walter Scott Erickson Post 557 and Ironton American Legion Post 443 teamed up to provide a free community Christmas dinner on Dec. 24 that was hosted by Post 443.
New Jersey
In Keyport, American Legion Post 23 continued its tradition of service during the holiday season by donating 25 boxes of food and $1,000 in gift cards to help stock the Earle Naval Weapons Station (NWS) food pantry to ensure veterans and military families had access to essential supplies.
Post members also conducted Buddy Checks by visiting veterans living in area assisted living facilities. The post also distributed winter jackets to veterans in need.
New York
In Little Valley, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 531 sponsored its annual “Christmas Cookies for Veterans” project. Unit 53 and members of the community made enough Christmas cookies to fill 89 decorated tins that were delivered to veterans living in the Little Valley, Cattaraugus, Salamanca, Great Valley and Ellicottville areas.
“A lot of veterans are forgotten. Some of them have families, but there are a lot that don’t have anyone,” said project co-coordinator Karel Hamilton, a member of Unit 531. “This is a way to show our appreciation to them for serving our country.”
Oklahoma
In Skiatook, American Legion Post 131 conducted a Christmas Festival Dec. 20 that drew a large crowd from surrounding communities and provided games, photo opportunities with Santa and the Grinch, a goody bag, raffles, food and a cake walk.
South Carolina
In North Augusta, American Legion Post 71 teamed with Marine Corps League Riverfront Marines Detachment 1132 and the Jimmy Dyess Detachment 921 to provide a holiday meal to soldiers from Fort Gordon who couldn’t go home for the holidays. It’s the fourth year the three entities have provided the meal.
South Korea
At Camp Humphreys, Past Paul E. Finn Memorial Post 37 Commander Charles Woods played the role of Santa Claus during the holiday season at the Camp Humphreys USO.
Texas
In San Antonio, Fred Brock Post 828 served as one of the sponsors of the 47th Annual Claude W. Black Community Center Holiday Gift Giveaway at the community center.
The giveaway, hosted by the Claude W. Black Center Advisory Board in partnership with the Dreambuilders of Texas Charitable Foundation, provided 226 low-income families with Christmas gifts.
“This event placed smiles on the faces of 479 children,” said Post 828 member Tavarus Glover, who serves as the advisory board president. “Additionally, the event allowed business, civic and social organizations to combine forces to help our families in the area who are struggling this holiday season.”
- Community