Thanks to Home Depot for work at Willoughby Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1500

For businesses, success isn’t always measured strictly in terms of profits.

Businesses also can distinguish themselves by giving back to the communities in which their customers reside.

This principle was exhibited recently with a project that provided long-awaited improvements to Willoughby Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1500. The post, at 38295 Pelton Road, also serves as a meeting place for the Willoughby American Legion and the Combat Vets Motorcycle Association.

Forty Home Depot employees performed the project in one day, said Christopher Woodin, current commander of VFW Post 1500 and past secretary for Combat Vets.

“(The Home Depot) employees came from Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Chardon, Mayfield, Mentor, Medina — all over,” he said. “We were so thankful for them. For them to come and orchestrate all of this work in one day was unbelievable as far as getting everything in. It looks beautiful — night and day from before and after.”

The post also received a $16,000 grant from Home Depot.

Additionally, stone from DeMilta Sand and Gravel in Eastlake and a 40-yard garbage bin from Tony Scheiber’s Hauling out of Fairport Harbor were donated, as was coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts in Mentor. DBB Electric, a veteran-owned company, provided electrical services.

Others integral in the project included Willoughby Mayor Robert Fiala and Kari Pfeifer, VFW Ohio senior vice commander, as well as Woodin’s quartermaster and his canteen manager.

“We had heard The Home Depot periodically hands out grants,” Woodin said. “I actually stopped at the Mentor Home Depot and ran into the manager, Mike Pinguh. He was gracious in hearing our requests for the grants.

“He had told me to put a letter together and at that time, I stated if we can just get some landscaping done, that would be greatly appreciated.”

The VFW post consists of more than 100 members. There are close to 300 with the American Legion and roughly 50 in the Combat Vets organization.

Because of an aging population of members, it’s not an easy task for them to maintain the post like they used to, Woodin said.

“Anything would’ve been appreciated — $500, $1,500,” he said. “(Pinguh) ended up making many trips out to our post to see what we were dealing with.”

Woodin took over Post 1500 more than a year ago.

“It’s probably been 25 years since that post has been upgraded,” he said. “At that point, I’m like, our floor and hall is atrocious. It could be stripped and waxed. LED lighting in our kitchen — those regular lights get so hot on top of the ovens in here. Our ceiling tiles were still from back when the smoking days happened, so we were starting to save up to get those replaced.”

Furthermore, the carpeting was 25 years old with rips and tears in it, and there was also a desire to do an outdoor lounge area in the back area of the building for members. As a result, a material list of a 24-by-12-foot outbuilding off the back of the building was supplied.

“Jeff Wheeler Construction out of Mentor is going to construct that for us free of charge as a donation to our post, so that is greatly appreciated,” Woodin said.

As part of the upgrades, seven flagpoles were installed out front to honor all the branches of service.

“We have a sign out front and it’s illuminated,” Woodin said. “We had found out that there was just an extension cord going underground, so we thought we probably need to do some proper conduit there and they provided all the material for that, and ran the electric wire from our building to the sign.

“Later, we’ll get an electrician to tie that in for us.”

“This took a huge burden off of us and allows us to further help veterans in our community,” Woodin said. “It’s all such a trickle-down effect if you think about all that money we don’t have to spend.”

In conclusion, The News-Herald salutes Home Depot and all other area businesses that helped make the project at Willoughby VFW Post 1500 a reality. Your generosity and hard work serve as a tremendous example that we hope other area businesses will follow.