American Legion - 57 Columbia County FL Post

We enhance the wellbeing of local veterans and their families by providing support, community, and entertainment. In conjunction with crown workforce, we coordinate the veteran's stand down event at least once a year where we open the Post to any veteran who wants to come in. During the stand down, all veteran's in attendance are provided with free haircuts, health exams, clothing/back packs, medical checkups, toiletries, and more at no cost to the veteran. Through the course of the year, we have an inhouse veteran's service officer who assists veterans with claims through veteran's affairs (va) as well as meeting unexpected financial needs, such as motel rooms for overnight needs of out of area veterans attending appointments at the va hospital, help with occasional utility bills and/or gas for stranded veterans. We support the va domiciliary, a nursing home for veterans. We provide basic care and comfort items to residents such as socks, underwear, blankets, and personal hygiene items such as razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste and more. We also provide entertainment for residents by facilitating free bingo games. With the assistance of our County, we set up veterans resource centers at three public libraries that provide basic benefit information for the veterans and their dependents who reside within the County. It also steers them in the right direction dealing with the County service officer and filing of compensation claims. We offer social quarters for our veterans where they can feel safe to come and socialize with others with similar backgrounds and experiences. In the social quarters we offer periodic dj's, bands, karaoke, bingo, and games for veteran's entertainment and relaxation in a safe atmosphere.

We provide financial and volunteer support to various charitable organizations and community programs that support our community and veterans within our community. These programs include the following: hooked on heroes, a charitable organization that takes veterans on fishing trips twice a year at no cost to the veteran. Renewed, a charitable organization that runs a food pantry to help homeless veterans. They also provide a limited number of rooms to help homeless veterans get back on their feet. In addition, they provide computer training, resume building and other needs to help them get back on their feet. The sheriff's boys ranch and Columbia County sheriff's department's summer youth programs, which helps troubled youth become responsible adults. Our American Legion riders program participates in the marine corp's toys for tots program, which runs an annual toy run to obtain new, unwrapped toys for children who otherwise may not have a christmas. They also raise funds for a program to assist in meeting the immediate needs of the less fortunate youth within our community. Additional services provided include providing books to the local schools for students. We support project vet relief, which is a state level American Legion program that provides services to veterans to help reduce veteran suicides that occur at an average of 22 times daily throughout our nation.