Veterans and Old Town community members gathered together Monday to share a free Christmas lunch.
The American Legion Post 75 in Old Town hosted its free Christmas meal for the second year in a row, welcoming anyone. Members posted signs around town in the days leading up to the holiday.
Seeing those signs was good luck and helped turn around Christmas for Sam Duplacy and her husband. The multi-day power outage meant the food in their fridge spoiled and their plans to visit family were upended, she said.
“I really appreciate the meal and the friendliness,” Duplacy said.
She retired from the Air Force and had been meaning to visit the legion, but hadn’t made it over yet. Everyone was very welcoming, Duplacy said.
Almost all the food for the Christmas meal was donated, American Legion Post Commander Wayne Feero said. Ham, stuffing, potatoes, salad, desserts and more lined the tables.
“Everybody’s just so generous,” Sons of The American Legion Post Commander Sonny Buxton said. “Everybody pitches in.”
Last year around 180 meals were distributed and Feero expects even more this year. They had served around 40 people in the first half hour and numerous meals were being delivered to veterans who can’t leave their homes.
“It’s a way to give back, not just to veterans, but the community, especially after the week we had,” Feero said.
The lunch is also a social event that helps connect people, Galen Young said. Young, a Navy veteran, raises hogs with his wife. They donated a ham to the meal and attended with their son, Matthew, who was recently medically discharged from the Army.
Young was encouraging his son and others to form connections with people and create a support system.
“I see far too many vets who leave the service and wind up homeless,” Young said.
The post never lost power even as more than 420,000 people across the state did. Members opened the building as a warming center and charging station for people who needed it, Feero said.
The American Legion was open Christmas Eve as well for anyone who wanted a place to go. The lunch has the biggest turnout though, Feero said.
“It’s our way of giving back to the community,” he said.
The Christmas meal started at 1 p.m. and was slated to last as long as the food did.