The Charles McLaughlin VFW Post 906 in Hutchinson recently donated $80,000 to the five existing and three in-progress veterans homes in the state.
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs says $10,000 will be donated to each location, including the under-construction Bemidji Home.
“It was absolutely a collective, united effort,” said VFW Commander Dale Hoogeveen of the initiative vote taken on by Post 906. “These people gave their time, their talents and their treasures to guarantee they could deliver a gift that would be well-used by our veterans.”
“Each year, we dedicate a large amount of resources to many community organizations doing important work, including first responders and schools,” said Jerry Tews, Post 906 Assistant Manager of Gambling.
“Veterans’ needs are always first and foremost in our contributions.”
The funds will be used to purchase televisions for residents’ bedrooms in the new homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston, which is an expense that skilled nursing care residents would traditionally cover.
Post 906 directed funds for the five existing homes to be used to create new activities and enhance programming.
The new veterans’ homes are scheduled to open later this year.
