S.C. Veterans Collect Money During Poppy Days

Those who have given their service to protect our freedom need our help in return this Memorial Day weekend.

The San Clemente Veterans of Foreign Wars George E. Smith Post 7142 will have volunteers standing outside the Stater Bros. grocery store on Camino de los Mares and the two Albertsons stores on Pico handing out poppies and collecting donations for veterans' charities Saturday through Monday.

Alex Neil, the VFW's adjutant quartermaster (treasurer), said it will be difficult to match the donation levels the group collected last year. The VFW is hurting for volunteers, and the Ralphs on Camino Real, where they have traditionally collected, made it impossible for them to do so this year.

"Last year, with Memorial Day and Veterans Day, we made $5,000 total," Neil said. "I think we'll be lucky if we can do that this time."

He said some of the volunteers from the VFW are getting too old to continue collecting.

"It's been kind of a problem for us," Neil said. "Our veterans are getting awfully old; our commander is 87, 88, and he's still out there."

Furthermore, Neil said, Ralphs this year instituted a number of insurance and other requirements that has made it cost-prohibitive for the VFW to have volunteers soliciting there.

"Basically, they shut us down," Neil said.

The money the veterans do collect will go to a number of different veterans organizations.

"One of the biggest ones we help is the VFW National Children's Home," Neil said.

The home helps needy families that have had a member die in service to the country.

"In a lot of cases, they've lost their husband," Neil continued. "We've been a big supporter of the injured Marine Semper Fi Fund and the VA Hospital in Long Beach."

Some of the money will also go to host Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners for the families of service members or the USO, among other causes.

If you are a veteran or active duty service member and you'd like to help collect donations this weekend—particularly on Monday—call Neil at 949-366-8477.