Amid devastation, Legion offers hope

I am proud of the role The American Legion plays in trying times. Through our National Emergency Fund (NEF), we are able to provide financial grants to Legion Family members who have had their homes damaged or, in some cases, destroyed. The grants provide up to $3,000 of immediate financial assistance to individuals and $10,000 to American Legion posts for housing, food and supplies. 

I saw this great program in action when flooding hit my home state of Georgia in 1994. Chances are the NEF has helped disaster victims in your state as well. 

Formally established after Hurricane Hugo struck the East Coast in 1989, the NEF has provided more than $8.5 million in emergency assistance. Its message of compassion and hope combined with its record of efficiency led me to choose the NEF as my preferred fundraising program for my year as national commander. The goal is a big one: to raise $1 million by our next national convention.

The NEF exists to help people like Maria Marcotte, an Army veteran and member of Post 100 in Washington, Ill. When an F-4 tornado tore through her town in 2013, Marcotte was attending services at her church. She immediately thought of her daughter and husband, who were home at the time.

“The church wasn’t hit, but the preacher continued with his sermon in the dark because the power went out,” she recalls. “I received a text from my brother that he heard my street was hit, so I drove home. It was crazy. I drove over a tree and a power line. I saw my house, which was damaged, and started yelling for my husband and daughter. No answer. It was scary. A neighbor heard me screaming and told me they were in a basement next door. They were OK. But it took us seven months to rebuild our home.”

Marcotte had joined the Legion a few weeks earlier and knew nothing about the NEF. “The veterans service officer for the county suggested I fill out a request for the NEF to help,” she says. “I didn’t expect anything of it because I had homeowner’s insurance, but just before Christmas I received a check for $1,500. It was so useful and totally unexpected. All our stuff was in storage and we had to live in an out-of-town rental.” 

Today, Marcotte works as a veterans benefit coordinator at Illinois Central College, where she shares this story with student veterans. Her husband, also a veteran, is a member of The American Legion too. Together they attend all their post’s meetings.

There are many reasons to join the American Legion Family. But the NEF, which serves current members, is a benefit that could cover a lifetime of dues. More importantly, it allows us to help those in need. This is a concrete way for veterans to support other veterans and their families in some of life’s darkest moments. By joining or renewing your membership in the Legion, you’re helping guarantee we’ll be there to assist someone when disaster strikes – maybe even you.