Nearly 3,800 American Legion posts across the country reported outreach programs in 2020-21.
The American Legion Consolidated Post Report (CPR) for the 2020-21 membership year, which concluded June 30, 2021, revealed a second straight year of massive assistance for veterans through the organization’s Buddy Check program.
The program, introduced in March 2019, soared in participation during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic when American Legion Family members conducted 3,683 Buddy Check operations. In the 2020-21 membership year, the number of Buddy Checks climbed to 3,725, and the number of veterans contacted through the program was reported at 234,601.
Buddy Check toolkits are available here for posts that want to conduct their own programs.
A major technological overhaul at American Legion National Headquarters delayed tallying of the CPR this year. The percentage of posts reporting their numbers – from VA Voluntary Services hours to the number of Flag Day ceremonies during the year – was 69.5% for the membership year ending June 30, 2020, and 62% for the year ending June 30, 2021.
Highlights reported in the 2020-21 CPR include:
- $3,002,140 in emergency aid provided for veterans by posts
- 244,990 volunteer hours at VA hospitals
- 17,657 VA Voluntary Services volunteers representing their posts
- 75,959 pints of blood donated by 50,735 American Legion members
- 1,556 posts that participated in Department of Homeland Security disaster relief programs
- 105,942 funeral honors provided by American Legion posts
- 1,117 posts that participated in veteran career fairs
- 4,625 veterans placed in jobs through American Legion local assistance
- 27,910 college scholarships awarded
- $4,015,805 amount in college scholarships awarded
- 6,222 Veterans in the Classroom programs
- 3,931 Flag Day ceremonies
- 6,404 Veterans Day ceremonies
- 6,395 Memorial Day ceremonies
- 2,504,183 volunteer community-service hours
- $5,332,525 amount in post funds used in community-service support activities
- 111,101 children who received financial assistance or goods from local posts
- Membership