American Legion post homes serve as a gathering place for members of The American Legion Family to conduct business meetings, host community outreach events, and continue serving our veterans, military, and their families in many ways. 
 
There are more than 12,000 local posts in communities throughout the world. Within those walls are varied services like hall rentals and canteens,  as well as planning for programs such as American Legion Baseball, Legion and ALA Girls State, Legion Riders, American Legion Oratorical Contest, and more to benefit veterans, military, their families, and the local community. 
 
Just like your home, the post needs routine maintenance as well — roof, kitchen, chairs, paint, and more. Because we’re an American Legion Family, Auxiliary units often help with those projects — hosting fundraisers on a regular basis to upgrade the post home — so these buildings can continue serving our collective missions. 
 
ALA members nationwide are happy to assist with these improvements because doing so helps everyone. From increasing membership to boosting morale to being known as a welcoming place in our communities, regularly taking care of the post benefits all who walk through its doors. 
 
A few ALA members shared with ALA media about their post home revitalization and maintenance efforts, showcasing the importance of the Legion Family. 
 
Unit 19: Midland, Texas 
Jane Bennett
Helping its post home with building projects has been a proud part of Texas Unit 19’s role. Members have hosted hundreds of fundraisers and solicited donations to remodel two hallway bathrooms to make them ADA compliant. 
 
“We completely gutted these rooms, replaced flooring, vanities, and toilet stalls,” said Unit 19 President Jane Bennett, who’s also a former interior designer. “We constructed specific accessible rooms in each bathroom and added a dressing area in the ladies’ room for events/rentals with full-length mirrors.” 

Their most recent project was to raise enough money to paint the back meeting hall in a sandy color and paint the acoustic ceiling in black. 
 
“We love the new paint and lighting in the back hall, which is where we hold all of our post meetings and conventions, bingo, events like Veterans Night Out dances and karaoke contests, and the annual chili cookoff,” Bennett said. 
 
After that update, the Family realized the old light fixtures were mismatched, so the unit solicited donations to update the 18 fixtures to LED to make everything uniform.
 
“They also help with electricity costs for the post in actual cost to operate and help with air conditioning costs in our long, hot summers because they put off no heat,” she added. “We also raised money to replace all of the folding chairs in our meeting hall and purchased black leather executive office chairs for our canteen. We are currently looking at replacing our barstools in the canteen.”
 
The unit also helped pay for plumbing repairs in the post building. 
 
To help finance post home projects, Unit 19 hosts fundraisers throughout the year to secure monies to make the needed improvements:
• They rent out the back hall for Auxiliary bingo three nights a week, a year-round fundraiser. Bingo sessions are open to the public and are heavily advertised. 
• Annual Holiday Marketplace and Food Drive brings in between $3,000 and $4,000 with vendors, food, music, a bake sale, and raffle baskets. 
• Lotto hats, stuffed cooler raffles, and gift card hats with cards are donated from local businesses.
• Bake sales and cake auctions in the canteen raise extra money for post projects. 
• Work with Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Ace Hardware for huge discounts on supplies and products. Local contractors and craftspeople will usually give great discounts or donate their time if the unit asks.
• Hosted a “Tejano Night” dance on the post patio to raise money to fix plumbing issues. The unit sold food plates, had a DJ donate his time, offered raffle items, and had about 70 people attend. 
• Host monthly “Auxiliary Burger Nights” in the canteen on Legion meeting nights to help get more members out for the meeting and raise money for canteen improvements.
 
The unit’s favorite post project so far: hallway bathrooms “that are now beautiful and accessible to all.”
“These are used every day by members, visitors, and event attendees,” Bennett said. “We have many members who are in wheelchairs, use walkers or canes, or just have trouble walking or getting up.” 
 
Being part of the community is always on Unit 19’s radar. They host or participate in several events, including Family Days, chili cookoff, Operation Homefront, Meals on Wheels, and more. Because they host some of these events, the revitalization of the post home has been incredibly important to the entire Family. 
 
Unit 138: Tampa, Fla.
Dawn Davis
Florida Post 138 was devastated by back-to-back hurricanes in 2024. 
 
“In August, Hurricane Debbie caused major flooding that damaged our septic system, forcing us to close for several days, and completely redo the lift station,” Unit 138 member Dawn Davis said. “Then in September, Hurricane Helene hit us hard, leaving our building under 3 to 4 feet of water. The flooding lifted our deck off its structure, and we had to gut the entire post down to the studs. Our storage buildings were moved off their bases, and we lost parts of our pavilion area. All our appliances, furniture — everything — was destroyed.
 
“Just as we finished gutting the building, Hurricane Milton came through. This time, we suffered wind damage: huge portions of our roof were torn off, our pavilions were demolished, and debris was scattered everywhere. It’s been a tough time, but we’re determined to rebuild. With everyone pitching in — through volunteering, fundraising, and spreading the word — we’ll bring our post back stronger than ever.”
 
After the hurricanes, the Post 138 Family immediately held a fundraiser in the parking lot to continue mission momentum. 
 
“Our unit put together a fundraiser called ‘Parking Lot Block Party.’ This occurs every Saturday in the parking lot of our post,” Davis said. “We set up tents, tables, and a makeshift canteen. One of our members owns a food truck and donates a portion back of the sales. We have another member who runs karaoke for free. In addition, we have raffles, merchandise, and a membership table set up. All proceeds from the month of November were donated to our post.”

Davis said her unit feels very fortunate to help with the funding to rebuild their post home. 
 
“We are humbled by the outpouring of love and camaraderie this devastation has brought,” she said. “To be able to help with the rebuilding of our home in whatever capacity we are able to is a blessing.”
 
For fellow American Legion Auxiliary units wanting to help their post home with rebuilding and general improvements, Davis offers advice from her unit’s experience. 
 
“Supporting our post should feel like a collaborative effort, not a burden,” she said. “When we all contribute in meaningful ways like organizing raffles, bake sales, or fundraising events, we’re not just raising funds — we’re strengthening our community ties. Each small act of help — from donating items to volunteering time — is part of the bigger picture of maintaining and improving our post for everyone. Working together not only meets immediate needs but also reinforces our collective dedication to the Auxiliary’s values and purpose.”
 
The importance of The American Legion Family was really brought to the forefront after the devastation of the hurricanes, forcing the Post 138 Family to get creative when it came to meeting for business and when hosting events. 
 
“Our post home is more than just a building; it’s our family,” Davis said. “Without it, we feel incomplete. But we’ve learned that even without a physical home, we can still carry out our mission. We don’t stop, and we won’t let the damage define us. We are the Rising Rosies of Unit 138, and our spirit is stronger than ever. We are so fortunate to have such an incredible American Legion Family at our post. We are so proud of what we’re accomplishing together, and we will rise from this stronger, united, and more determined than ever to serve our community.”
 
The unit and post have been active in the Port Tampa community over the years. Together, they host a variety of events that bring everyone together — members and non-members. Events include the annual poker run supporting Toys for Tots to community traditions like the Fishing Tournament, Trunk or Treat, Santa visits, and Pancakes with the Easter Bunny. The Family’s biggest event, the Frogmen Swim, unites people each January to support Gold Star Families, drawing people from all around. The Family also provides for homeless veterans — another reason to push to rebuild quickly. 
 
“For our homeless veterans, our post is a sanctuary where they can come to fish and enjoy peace a few times a year,” Davis said. “We’re honored to be a safe and welcoming space for them and for all in our area. Even as we rebuild, we’re committed to remaining a vital part of this community, ensuring everyone has a place to connect, support, and be supported.”
 
Being part of the renovation is important to the Auxiliary, Davis said. It gives ALA members a purpose and continues the mission. 
 
“I am so very proud of these extraordinary members of our Auxiliary and our Post 138 Family,” she said. “We are working together harmoniously to build a strong foundation as we rebuild our post.”
 
Unit 266: Granby, Mass.
Roswitha Ladue
Seeing the need to help the post home with its kitchen, Unit 266 jumped into action. 
 
“The existing kitchen is exceedingly small and not easy to work in for more than one or two people,” said Roswitha Ladue, unit historian and actively involved in fundraising for the post. “The real reason is that the hood is nonfunctional and does not meet the newest guidelines. Plus, all appliances are outdated and not working well. During COVID-19, everything was closed, but after that, we realized that we could not use the kitchen anymore. The American Legion board talked to people in the restaurant business to advise on the best course of action.”
 
Since the old kitchen space is extremely limited and needs quite a bit of repair, the advice was to move the kitchen across the hall to a much larger space that functions as storage now. The two areas of the post home will be switched to accommodate a larger kitchen. It will have a four-burner gas range, grill, work and prep areas, refrigeration, and a sink. 
 
To help fund the new kitchen, the unit decided to do a 12 Days of Christmas fundraiser at the end of 2024. 
“We did a raffle with higher value prices, which were all donated by the community, every day, from December 11 to December 22,” she said. “One name was pulled for that day’s gift; every name went in the raffle again to be pulled again. The funds from the raffle are going into our kitchen renovation fund.”
 
The kitchen had previously been used for events like Breakfast with Santa, Easter Bunny Breakfast, Flag Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day after the parades. The Legion Family is ready to get back to positively using the space. 
 
It’s a special feeling for the unit to help out with improvements at the post home, Ladue said.  
 
“We are Family and want to be able to have functions for the Legion Family and the community again and bring our Juniors in for special get togethers with meals,” she said. “To us, that feels important, and we think it enables us to give back to our veterans and community.”
 
Ladue encourages other Legion Family groups that want to work together on post improvements to truly make it a Family effort.
 
“The Legion applied for a grant from Home Depot which was approved,” she said. “The funds will be used for the kitchen — work, appliances — and to beautify the Legion hall and grounds. We also have fundraisers in different forms to raise money, and we spread the word in the community to ask for help from other veteran organizations.”
 
Always a work in progress 
Just like the Legion posts mentioned above, many of these buildings throughout the country are a labor of love for their members. From chair upgrades to fresh paint to a whole new roof, post home maintenance — small fixes to large renovations — matters in providing a welcoming, warm atmosphere for veterans, military, their families, and communities. 
 
 
Sun to snow: climate-based fundraiser ideas depending on your American Legion post home’s location
 
Warmer weather      
• Bonfire/cookout 
• Outdoor family events (kids’ crafts, games, prizes, etc.) 
• Golf tournament 
• Auction
• Walk-a-thon
 
Colder weather
• Dinner inside the post home 
• Dance/dinner
• Booth at local event 
• Food and donations for 
local food banks 
• Polar Plunge
• Movie night 
• Craft workshop 
• Drive-thru 
donation events