VFW Post 2718 in Franklin Square welcoming new Auxiliary members

For those interested in getting more involved in the Franklin Square veteran community, the Frank P. Curry Jr. VFW Post 2718 and Auxiliary are looking for new members.

Christine Hillaris, president of the Auxiliary to Post 2718, said the organization is holding an open house at 68 Lincoln Rd. in Franklin Square on Sunday, April 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. It will be a family-friendly event with door prizes, giveaways, children’s arts and crafts and more.

Several booths will also be set up informing visitors on how the Auxiliary supports veterans, their families and the rest of the community. They currently have roughly 20 Auxiliary members, Hillaris said.

“We wanted to open up the VFW because it is almost like a community center, a lot of organizations already use this for gathering,” Hillaris said. “We wanted to let the community know what the Auxiliary is about, what they do for veterans and the community.”

Hillaris stressed the Auxiliary is not strictly for women as it historically once was, but is open to anyone age 16 and over. The only requirement is the individual has to have a family member who has served overseas in a conflict or war.

Some of the significant initiatives the Auxiliary is involved in include the poppy drive, which is traditionally held near Memorial Day. The money raised is donated to the VFW Post 2718 to be used for veterans’ benefits.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, funds would also be used for luncheons for disabled veterans at least twice a year, where the United Service Organizations would visit and perform live, patriotic music.

The Auxiliary also strives to promote scholarships, such as the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest — a $15,000 grant that recognizes up-and-coming artists and encourages patriotism in youth. Every Auxiliary is entitled to send one winning entry to its state scholarship chairman and admissions have the chance to be recognized nationally.

VFW Post 2718 Auxiliary members also visit veterans in local nursing homes, attend Veterans and Memorial Day parades and services and hold pin ceremonies to honor veterans for their branch of service. Members also participate in community outreach projects, such as volunteering at the Mary Brennan Inn soup kitchen in Hempstead.

“(The Auxiliary is) a next level of saying thank you to our veterans,” Hillaris said. “We just want to let the community know what the Auxiliary is doing, and they have seen it out there — it’d be great to have them as part of our team.”