Post 37 in Norfolk, Va., has a strong presence in its community. A local resident noticed its impact, and the result was gifting the post a new facility.
A forced move around four years ago was more than just an inconvenience for American Legion Post 37 in Norfolk, Va. It impacted a thriving membership.
But thanks to a generous area citizen – and the work Post 37 has done in the community over the years – the post now has a new home.
Post 37 recently moved into its new home: a former bank that has easy access to it. The building was gifted to the post by an anonymous donor
“That was a Godsend,” Post 37 Commander Alonzo Scott said. “I really wasn’t expecting it. It was just out of the blue. But the community, they see the work we’ve done. We do a lot in the community, so we are well-recognized.”
Post 37’s previous facility was obtained through the city, but four years ago the city determined the building needed to be demolished. That sent the post looking for a new home, which they found on the top level of the local Knights of Columbus council.
But there was a catch.
“There’s about a 25-step staircase there that we really have a lot of problems with,” Scott said. “Our older veterans and some disabled veterans weren’t able to access our post. And our membership fell around 25, 30 percent.”
Local media shared stories of how the post was looking for a new home, and word got back to a local individual who donated the building. “He decided this building was no longer going to be in his portfolio of investments. And the first thing that came to mind was for his realtor to contact us. That’s because our name was out there.”
And that, Scott said, is because of the work the post does. “Through our food pantry, we give out around 4,000 pounds of food per month,” he said. “We do a Thanksgiving dinner for not only our veterans, but for the community. We do a community Fourth of July cookout. We do blood drives.
“And another thing we do for the community is we have two accredited service officers. We do, sometimes, 800 VA claims for veteran’s transitioning out of the military and other veterans in a year’s time.”
Now, the post has its own home that veterans will no longer have trouble accessing.
“For me, it’s a complete relief, as well as for the veterans in the community who remained members but couldn’t access the building,” Scott said. “I know I’ve received so many phone calls from veterans thanking us and saying that they’re so happy that we now have a building that they can access.
“Now, we’re looking to expand our programs. Now, we own a building. It’s a deeded gift to American Legion Post 37. So now, we can concentrate on getting the building up to par. There are still some needs we need to improve. But that’s not our priorities. The priorities are to get our post up and operational so we can better serve our veterans and increase our membership.”
Scott said that as the post struggled to find a new home, it never once considered shuttering some of the services it provides to the community. “As commander, I told the executive board that that’s not an option. This was actually our fourth move, and we have never interrupted services. We have continued to do our programs,” he said. “As Legionnaires and leaders in the Legion, we should never give up. If we have faith in what we’re trying to do to assist veterans, we should keep on trying to solicit people to assist us. And if you’re out there and you’re doing things, the community will listen. I’ve learned that in my 22 years that I’ve been a part of the Legion.”
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