Funds benefit veterans food pantry
WEST MILFORD. The $1,500 was raised by selling hamburgers at the Harvest Festival on Oct. 28.
| 08 Nov 2023 | 09:28
Ed ‘Tripp’ Grala and Frank Kostoplis, commander and first vice commander of the Sons of the American Legion, respectively, present a $1,500 check to Debbie Flowers, director of the Great Falls Rotary Foundation’s Military Assistance Pantry. The money was raised at the hamburger tent at the Harvest Festival on Oct. 28 at Bubbling Springs.
The Sons of the American Legion, associated with American Legion Post 289 in West Milford, donated the proceeds from hamburger sales at the Harvest Festival on Oct. 28 to the Great Falls Rotary Foundation’s Military Assistance Pantry.
Ed “Tripp” Grala, commander of the Sons of the American Legion, and Frank Kostoplis, first vice commander, presented a check for $1,500 to the pantry’s director, Debbie Flowers.
The pantry serves veterans and their families primarily in Passaic County. More than 115 veterans and their families, including 86 children, regularly come to the pantry.
The American Legion post has been supporting the pantry for a couple of years. Food may be donated at the post, where there are collection bins,
Post members also collect toys for children that are distributed through the pantry during the Christmas season.
Pantry staff provide assistance to veterans in other ways, including trying to obtain cars, scooters and medical equipment. They recently connected a veteran with Habitat for Humanity, which helped her and her family obtain a home.
The pantry doesn’t receive government money so it relies community organizations, such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and veterans groups.