SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — For more than two decades, American Legion Post 52 in Sierra Vista has opened its doors on Thanksgiving Day to serve free meals to anyone in need. This year, the 70-year-old veterans organization expected record numbers as volunteers prepared food for 600 people over four days.
"Always hope that people are doing well in our community, but sometimes there are some challenges. So I'm glad that we're here to provide a little bit of a gap," Bobby Wise said.
Wise, the post commander, said their doors were open to everyone, including active duty soldiers in town for training and the border mission.
"We're glad that we can provide this opportunity and provide the service for them," Wise said. “It's kind of a double edged sword, where we're glad we can provide that opportunity and that gap. We always hope that people are doing a lot better, but in some cases, sometimes there's a challenge in place. So either way, we're here to support that effort, to provide a nice meal for somebody.”
Volunteers Patty Masias and Wayne Blood, who are longtime members of the post, volunteered for the Thanksgiving meal service for the first time this year.
"Everyone seems to be happy with what they're they've been served, and the line's not getting any smaller," Masias and Blood said.
"The Legion does a lot for the community, and I think that's great. So we enjoy helping when they need help," they said.
All of the food served was either donated or purchased with donated money. Wise said the community service is something the American Legion takes pride in providing.
"It's almost expected of us, and it's not a burden on us, because we want to give back," Wise said.
On Thursday, the Legion became a place for people to feel part of something and not alone during the holiday.
"The American Legion has always been part of this community. It's kind of a cornerstone to always give back to not only the veterans themselves, but their families," Wise said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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