Jun 29, 2020
Members of VFW Post 2805 and its Auxiliary in Canoga Park, California, knew they couldn’t let the COVID-19 crisis stop them from getting meals to veterans.
The $6 meals served by the Post each Wednesday are a favorite of local veterans. For some, especially elderly veterans, this provides the best meal they have every week.
“This is a tradition we did not want to see fade away when we found out we would have to close. We chose to continue serving lunch to go and our fantastic volunteers agreed. We have not missed a single week,” said Post 2805 Adjutant/Quartermaster Keith Long.
The menu varies from week to week, but includes a hearty main dish complete with sides and dessert. Veterans enjoy picking up everything from meatloaf, pork chops and hamburgers to pasta or turkey dinners.
All of the food is prepared and served by Post and Auxiliary volunteers, and Long credits the Auxiliary for the success of these meals.
“We could not do it without their participation,” Long said. “You can't beat it. Fresh food cooked on site with love and served by a special group of people who care for our veterans. They give of themselves for no reward whatsoever except the satisfaction that they brought a smile to the face of a veteran.”
But Long and his fellow Post members know the importance of these lunches is much more than great food.
“Even a quick drive through the Post parking lot and picking up a meal gives people a chance to stay in touch and say hello,” said Long. “If nothing else, it provides assurance that we’re still here and not going away – in other words, hope.”