Post using solid finances to benefit its community
The sale of two buildings and then sound investing has left American Legion Rodney Stinson Post 102 in Stonington, Maine, on strong financial footing. But rather than sitting on the money, the post has been giving back to its community – in a big way.
In addition to establishing two yearly scholarships, the post donated $20,000 last year for renovations to a local playground, and $20,000 this year toward the purchase of a new ambulance for a local rescue company.
“We’re using (the money) for things that are important to our local community in memory of our veterans,” Post 102 Adjutant Deborah Alley said. “We’ve had veterans who’ve fought and died. We’ve had veterans from World War I, veterans who fought at Iwo Jima, a Bataan Death March survivor, a prisoner of war and so many more.”
Years ago the post owned what was called the Dance Hall but decided sell it and invest the money in the Vanguard 500 Index Fund. The post also had a facility in need of repairs but decided to sell that as well.
“Rather than just keep throwing money into the building … we ended up selling the building,” Alley said. “That money also got added into the fund. And we didn’t want all that money to go to nothing.”
The post previously had given out scholarships on its own, but the membership decided to donate $100,000 to the Maine Community Foundation to provide two $2,000 scholarships each year for perpetuity, in memory of local veterans.
“We can never touch that (money) again, but we feel that it’s going to the future of America: our kids,” said Alley. “It will leave a lasting legacy.”
At that post, Alley said the membership started looking at other ways to benefit its community with the money. The post already had donated to a local food pantry and a heating assistance fund but started to look at bigger projects.
That led to the post donating $20,000 in 2023 for repairs to Veterans Memorial Playground, which the post had donated years ago. The playground had been moved across the road into a larger space and needed renovations.
And this year, Post 102 made another $20,000 donation, this time to the volunteer Memorial Ambulance Corps, which provides emergency medical services to the area communities. The donation is to help defray the cost of a new ambulance the Memorial Ambulance Corps has ordered for delivery early next year.
Post 102 Commander Richard Eaton and his wife have volunteered with the ambulance corps for years. He said seeing his post donate to that cause, “is great. We’ve been with it for 20 years, and I think this is the third ambulance that we’ve had since we’ve been on. (The donation) is really a good boost to our ambulance unit to get a donation like that. We really appreciate it.”
In a letter to the editor in the Bangor Daily News, Memorial Ambulance Corps Board of Trustees President Bill Wiegmann wrote, “We are extremely grateful to the American Legion for this wonderful gift. It will make a huge difference to our efforts to pay for the new ambulance. We would like to thank the members of the American Legion for their service to the nation and to the island community. They are an inspiration to us all.”
Alley said the post already is considering donating $10,000 each to two area volunteer fire departments over each of the next two years, so that each ends up receiving $20,000 each.
Eaton said the feeling of seeing the post make the impact it has on its community is hard to put into words. “It gives you a real boost knowing you’re doing something to help the community,” he said. “We have the money to donate, and it’s a great feeling to make that donation.”