A VFW in the Rust Belt donated $20,000 to local fire and police departments earlier this year.
VFW Post 3343 in Clyde, Ohio, gave the Clyde Fire and Police departments $10,000 each, which will be used for much-needed equipment for the first responders.
VFW Post 3343 Commander Brian Moore said it is important for the Post to support the department because they are a part of the community.
“It’s just one way for us to give back,” said Moore, an Air Force veteran. “We lost our Post to a fire 13 years ago, so we want to do everything we can to help.”
The Fremont News-Messenger, based in Fremont, Ohio, reported that Clyde Police Chief Monti Campbell said the donations “came at the right time” for a new “recorders management system for the department.” Campbell said the new system will bring them “up to date” and allow the department to be on the same system as neighboring law enforcement agencies.
The Fremont News-Messenger also reported that Clyde Fire Chief Paul Fiser said the donation will be used for purchasing equipment for a fire station in the town. The department also will put funds towards body cameras and protective vests.
Moore said that since Jan. 1, 2023, the Post has donated $158,799 to the community. Included in the amount is the Posts donation of $10,000 to the Big Nut Scholarship fund for those who attend Ohio State University.
“We are very embedded in our community,” said Moore, who served in South Korea in 1988. “I believe we are what a VFW Post needs to be.”