'We’re in it for the long haul'

'We’re in it for the long haul'

Located along the Lower Hudson Valley region of New York, John M. Perry American Legion Post 1044 in Sparkill was an active member of its community prior to the coronavirus pandemic, assisting those in need while providing scholarships and opportunities for local youth.

COVID-19 changed the way Post 1044 conducted business, but in no way has it stopped the post from completing what it feels is the core mission of The American Legion. Whether it’s been supporting a local Department of Veterans Affairs facility, leading the way in food and clothing drives, and even assisting man’s furry friends, Post 1044 has continued to serve its community.

“We definitely had to shutter from a social standpoint. Even our post meetings, we had stopped from March until we resumed in September,” Post 1044 Commander Dave Mart said. “But where we support the community and veterans, we know that the need for that doesn’t go away. We just felt we had to find different ways of being able to do it.”

Members of Post 1044 normally head to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Campus of the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in Montrose two or three times a year for ward parties for the veterans there. The events include a catered lunch, drinks, homemade desserts, gift bags and professional entertainment.

The pandemic has forced the cancellation of those lunches, but not the post’s efforts to make those veterans feel appreciated. Instead, Post 1044 has sponsored monthly catered lunches from local restaurants for veterans being treated in the hospital’s post-traumatic stress disorder ward.

“We’re just trying to let them know they’re not forgotten … and other veterans care about them, and give them a chance to sort of forget about their problems for a while,” said Mart.

Continuing its support for the FDR Campus, Post 1044 also staged a collection effort for the facility’s clothing locker, similar to a post effort in 2019 that collected $18,000 worth of new and gently used clothing. Pandemic restrictions wouldn’t allow for the donation of used clothing, but Post 1044 still was able to collect more than $2,600 worth of new shirts, pants, coats and other clothing. Mart said both the community and other American Legion posts in Rockland County stepped up to assist the effort.

“The staff at the hospital were very grateful for such a large donation of new clothing, one that helped maintain the viability of their clothing locker during the pandemic,” Mart said.

During planning for the clothing drive, Post 1044 learned that a local People to People Food Pantry was in need of donations because of a higher-than-normal demand because of the pandemic. The post hosted a non-perishable food drive during its clothing drive and was able to collect more than $1,900 worth of food items that were donated to the food pantry.

After learning that other Rockland County American Legion posts had staged successful pet food drives to assist a local animal shelter, Post 1044 again stepped up, launching a food and supply drive in late 2020. Using its community contacts and social media, the post was able to raise more than $2,900 worth of pet food, treats, toys, beds, leashes, collars, health products, office and cleaning supplies, and much more.

All the donated items were then donated to the Hi-Tor Animal Care Center in Pomona; the effort provided an opportunity for local youth to safely engage in community service hours helping at the drive.

“The drives have at least been a way that we can get the community to assist, but in a way that’s appropriate for the pandemic,” Mart said. “They can just drop off, and we can pick up from their car in a parking lot, or they can drop off in a building.”

Post 1044 routinely awards between $7,000-$8,000 in annual scholarships to Tappan Zee High School students, typically during a senior class award ceremony at the high school. Since an in-person ceremony couldn’t be held in 2020, Mart and Post 1044’s scholarship chairman recorded a video award presentation that became part of a virtual awards ceremony that took place after the school year ended.

Post 1044 hit 2021 running, scheduling a hobby supply drive for Jan. 30 at the post to collect new hobby supplies and games to help the veterans pass the time at the FDR Campus. Mart said similar efforts will continue as long as there is a need.

“If there’s a way to do it differently but to find a way to make it happen, that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Mart said. “We can accept that socially we have to just be patient to wait it out. But when it comes to need for food in our community or the needs over at (the FDR Campus), the need is greater than ever. So we can’t just wait it out.

“We’re just finding a way to make it happen that fits in the new normal that we’re all having to live in. Our commitment is there that we’re just going to keep doing what is working. We’re in it for the long haul, as long as they need is there.”

As we continue through 2021, we will continue to share the stories of American Legion Family members rising up during COVID-19. The following are a few of those examples.

Arkansas

The Alley-White American Legion Post 52 in Mountain Home in serving as the site for the new Pantry at the Post, a food pantry for local veterans and active-duty military families. The food pantry will open March 6; a food drive has been scheduled to stock the shelves on Feb. 4, in conjunction with the “Freedom is Not Free” veterans’ appreciation program at Dunbar Auditorium.

Michigan

In Ann Arbor, Erwin Prieskorn American Legion Post 46 provided some much-needed food relief to Washtenaw County residents. Post 46 donated $2,000 to Food Gatherers, the county’s food rescue and food bank program.

In a tweet, Food Gatherers thanked Post 46, sharing that “While families continue to struggle amid the pandemic, donations from our generous community help put meals on the table and provide a sense of security. We are honored to receive this donation equaling 6,000 meals from the American Legion Post 46!”

Missouri

The Kansas City VA Medical Center used Matthews-Crawford Post 131 in Warrensburg as a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Jan. 28, vaccinating 400 area veterans. All vaccinations were by appointment only; veterans assigned to the Warrensburg VA Clinic received an automated call to make their appointments.

Tennessee

In Dover, Douglas M. Lyons Post 72 teamed with Dill's Piggly Wiggly of Dover and sponsor support from Joe Manhan Ford of Paris in late 2020 to donate canned goods and various other food items to the Good Samaritan Center in Dover.

Texas

Frisco’s American Legion Post 178 and American Legion Auxiliary Unit 178 provided Christmas gifts and cookies to residents of the Texas State Veteran’s Home in Bonham. The American Legion Family members received donations from students at Oak Point Elementary in Little Elm, who contributed 17 boxes of items that included food, lap blankets, personal hygiene items, games, puzzles and candy. The students also wrote letters to the folks residing in the Bonham facility.

The effort was a continuation of support by Post 178’s Legion Family for the home throughout the pandemic, which also has included donating more than $2,400 to assist in purchasing items such as a basketball goal, tether ball, miniature golf set-up and a projector with an outside screen to show movies.