WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The American Legion is much like a VFW. Both are clubs designed for Military Veterans to have some place to go for socializing with other veterans and their families, and to get help with veteran resources. The difference between an American Legion and a VFW is that VFW stands for Veterans of Foreign War. In other words, in order to be a member of a VFW you have to have had boots on the ground during war time. It’s not enough that you were active military during war time. You have to have served in a war zone.

American Legions, however, accept all US Military Veterans as long as they received an honorable or medical discharge. Both groups allow active military and their families as well. Many VFW’s and American Legions have been in their locations for many years. As a result, many of the buildings holding the groups are run down and in need of repair. In addition to that, groups that hold memberships such as the Moose, Kiwanis, VFW, Lions and American Legions are having a hard time getting new members.

Increasing membership has always been a challenge, but when COVID hit bringing in new members was nearly impossible. Many of us have gone to camp through the Kiwanis or got a scholarship from the Moose or rented a hall from one of the groups so that we could fit all of the loved ones we were expecting for an event or celebration of life. These community driven organizations are essential for much of the community in developing events that take place.

Membership is vital to these organizations because it is the members that keep the programs running and the facilities in repair.

The American Legion Post 832, is located at 1550 Auburn Blvd. It’s right by the Business 80 and El Camino intersection. Like many Legions, Post 832 is struggling to stay afloat. The facility has a dining hall, a bar, and another hall with a stage. They are closed on Mondays but serve dinner Tuesday through Saturday nights usually for right around $5, and Sunday morning breakfast. They adopted several veteran families this year for Christmas and are there to help veteran families any way that they can.

Recently the commercial freezer went out at the post. Members and volunteers have been scrambling to get food brought there each day to be cooked, since they had nowhere on site to keep the weeks’ worth of food frozen. Habitat for Humanity, the same group that brought us Rock the Block, Broderick stepped up. Between Habitat for Humanity and Sutter Health, they replaced the commercial freezer.

Habitat for Humanity’s organization is a large group of people who are there to help other people. They help people with their homes when in need of repair and they do it with no judgment. In fact, they thank you for letting them help. In addition, they do it with a smile and before they hang up the phone or leave your place, they ask you if there is anything else that they can help you with… and they mean it!

Habitat for Humanity has a ReStore where the public can purchase new and slightly used items for a home or business. Habitat’s ReStore is located on North 10^th Street, off of Richards Blvd. It is a great place to check if you have appliances that go out, need shutters or hardware for your cabinets or any number of other items for your home or business. The items are always different and always at drastically reduced prices than buying new.

The people from American Legion Post 832 would like to thank Habitat for Humanity and Sutter Health for their gracious donation and helping to install the freezer, as well as hauling away the old one.

If you are a military veteran in good standing, are family of a veteran or are active military please go into Post 832 and see how they can help you or how you can help others. You can visit both the American Legion Post 832 and Habitat for Humanity on Facebook, or go into their facilities.