DREHER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- November is Military Appreciation Month and on the heels of Veterans Day, an American Legion post in Wayne County is seeking help.
Visit any American Legion Post, and you'll find a group of veterans who will tell you they'll do what they can to give what they can. It's no different at Newfoundland Post 859 in Wayne County. But the vets say this facility needs some updating to better serve their community.
"Currently without the accessible bathrooms and the ramp, you can't really be open to the public because we just don't have the facilities for them to use if they need them," said post treasurer David Dickinson.
To get up to code, the building had to have a ramp and accessible bathrooms to accommodate the disabled. With some donations, a concrete pad was poured, and the ramp is ready to be installed. This part of the project is only the first piece of a larger plan before weather halts the work for the winter.
"The windows and things we won't have in. That's quite a few bucks. They estimated that at $12,000 for windows and doors. We're OK with that. If we can get the kitchen in and handicap bathrooms and our ramp, then we're OK," said post commander Jack Sparks.
The members at the legion post have their work cut out for them. There's a lot to do in a short amount of time, and they're hoping that the community they reach out to help reaches back in return.
"In order to continue, we only have 12 to 15 active people, so it's fairly hard without some help from the community," Dickinson said.
"Our group here is well up in the ages. They're mostly Vietnam veterans and older. It's not as easy for us to get that done," said post member Bill Dunn.
The post also has plans to add a kitchen space to the main floor, along with some other updates. If you'd like to donate or join this group of gentlemen at the American Legion, contributions can be sent to:
American Legion Post 859
Post Office Box 93
Newfoundland, PA 18445