The Daily Legion Update: Katrina Relief
September 6, 2005 From National Commander Tom Bock: Veterans helping veterans and veterans helping their communities. That’s The American Legion way. Over the past few days, Legion Posts and Departments have demonstrated that instinctive flair for helping those in need. Through the National Emergency Fund and through some very responsive and creative efforts, Legionnaires are collecting donations and badly needed clothing items and perishables to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Other posts are serving as refugee centers, providing crucial support to their neighbors. Legion Service Officers are at refugee centers across the country where victims have been relocated. Still other Legionnaires are driving badly needed supplies into affected areas. To those Legionnaires and Posts who have mobilized to provide assistance either on-scene, by volunteering or by collecting food and clothing items in your hometown, I salute you. You are doing a great job. And I want to tell your story as the one of St. Helen Post 416 in Michigan who gave $10,000 to the Salvation Army on short notice (photo and story below). This is the first of a series of daily newsletters that will highlight your accomplishments and serve as inspiration for other posts and departments to participate in the disaster assistance efforts.
Please keep us informed on anything you do to help enhance NEF efforts for our Legionnaires or any other charitable undertaking you are involved in that helps the residents of those communities struck by Hurricane Katrina. You can send your story to pr@legion.org <mailto:pr@legion.org> or by calling 317-630-1253. Of course we can use all the contributions to the NEF fund that you can muster. Spread the word. And let our comrades know that their NEF is there for them in this critical time using today’s technology to provide direct funds transfer directly to them. Thank you again for all that you do for God and Country.
From Post 76, Wiggins, Colorado
“Operation Katrina”, a hurricane relief program set up in by Wiggins American Legion Post 76, in Wiggins, Colorado, is one example of matching resources in the community to provide aid for Katrina's survivors. Bonnie Rohn, a member of Post 76, suggested having a donation and collection site to Wiggins Police Chief Leroy Dilka. The focus of the collection was cash donations, children and adult clothing, blankets and any variety of civilian apparel are needed. Volunteers and boxes were set up to help the relief drive. Two trailers were set up for collecting the items as well as police, sheriff, fire or emergency uniforms. Dilka and Bill Delaney, another officer and also a retired trucker and member of Wiggins American Legion Post 76, left Sunday for Canton, Miss., to take all donated items to the victims or as close as they can get to the disaster area. From St. Helen Post 416, Michigan
Commander Paul Elwartowski and members of St. Helen Post 416 donated $10,000.00 to the Salvation Army for hurricane Katrina relief (officers present are Paul Elwartowski, Bill McCaleb, Jim Lane, Mike Wood and Jim Holmes) From the Department of Pennsylvania
Past National Commander, Ron Conley (PA) quickly matched resources and suggested that the PA American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans in Pittsburgh could be used for displaced veterans or families who are victims of Hurricane Katrina. The facility has three units available to house either three families or eight veterans. Also, another facility known as The Ephrata Place, has a room that will be available to assist a veteran. From Snowflake, AZ
Snowflake Post 126 in Snowflake AZ has started successful PR effort through a radio station for citizens to donate directly to Legion's programs (NEF or directly to Departments). Both the post and town of Snowflake plan to adopt at least one afflicted Legion post in future months to help get them back on their feet. From American Legion Post 95, Jonesboro, Indiana
Packages of diapers, baby wipes and paper towels brought to American Legion Post 95 on Saturday afternoon are bound for Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Cars and trucks with trunks or backseats full of bottled water, non-perishable food, paper goods, baby items and other necessities pulled up to the American Legion post Saturday to unload into a 53-foot semi truck. The Legion post collected the items until the truck was full and beyond, with the goal of sending it all to the Gulf Coast. From there, the items from Grant County will be split into smaller trucks and taken to areas that received the brunt of the damage from Hurricane Katrina. Jim Small, Indiana Fifth District Commander, who also donated the truck that will make the trip to Alabama, went along to ensure that the donations got those in need. The trailer and a driver were donated by Brankle Bros. By mid-afternoon Saturday, the post had already had accumulated just more than $1,000 in monetary donations and several short stacks of bottled water, toothbrushes, food, diapers, toilet papers and paper towels. The American Legion -- Still Serving America
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