HEROES VETERAN/ARMED FORCES SPOTLIGHT

Local VFW Post Looking for a Permanent Home as It Serves Moore

Tony McGrew is a member of Moore’s VFW Post 8706 and also a national representative with veterans and military support programs. He wants to ensure that folks in Moore know how much the local VFW post supports the community.

“We raise all our funds through donations, and 98% of those funds go right back into the community,” said McGrew. “That means we don’t have much funding to work with when paying for a place to meet and store the essentials we need.”

McGrew says the VFW appreciates the donated space they’ve been using for the last year-and-ahalf, located at a local church. The problem is that they can only use that space when someone from the church is available, and it doesn’t allow them to store anything.

“We don’t need a large space for our meetings,” said McGrew. “Just a place with some open space that can accommodate 30 or so people and also has restrooms. And it wouldn’t hurt if it had a small kitchenette-type space where we could make coffee and that sort of thing.”

McGrew says that the VFW Post 8706 is made up of the citizens of Moore and is focused on projects that give back to the local community.

“We are your firemen, your police officers, your EMTs, your store clerks, and the people working at restau- rants and grocery stores,” said McGrew. “We love this city and want to help make it a better place. Plus, we’re a non-profit, so if someone has a place they could donate for us to use, it will benefit them tax-wise.”

Rebecca McGarry is the current commander for Post 8706. She says the post and its members actively serve the community year-round.

“We brought over $50,000 back into the Moore community after the 2013 tornado,” said McGarry. “We also participate in National Night Out each year and numerous events that serve the local National Guard. We work in the local VA hospitals and local living and retirement centers, as well as food and clothing drives and providing gift bags for the Air National Guard at Christmas.”

It’s easy to lose count of how VFW Post 8706 impacts the community. McGarry says they also have programs to recognize students through the Patriots Pin scholarship programs and other programs serving teachers, firefighters, EMT workers, and police officers. Having a space of their own would help them become more effective in all these areas.

“All these programs are the heart of what we do in the community,” said McGarry. “And again, we are a non-profit, so any donation would bring tax relief to the donor.”

If you can help VFW Post 8706 find a more permanent meeting place, contact Tony McGrew at 405-8206467 or Rebecca McGarry at 405408-7866.