ANGOLA, N.Y. — Many businesses were hit hard by the pandemic, some even closed because of it. The same goes for non-profits.
One local VFW isn't giving up yet. It has a plan for a comeback.
For Eric Robinson, the place isn’t just a local bar and restaurant.
“Even though that’s what we do, but we do that to support the functions of the building and to support veterans services,” said Robinson.
He is the Quartermaster at the VFW Post 5798 in Angola. He’s trying to get it up and running again.
“We just went through a bad spell of a bunch of people that you know didn’t run the business well I guess,” Robinson said.
Then the pandemic happened.
“It just put the facility itself further back into debt cause we weren’t open to pay the money,” he added.
Eric estimates the debt to be about $100,000. The building, which once was the birthplace of Willis Carrier, the inventor of the modern air conditioner, faced foreclosure earlier this year. In September, Eric was asked to step in as quartermaster. Eric is a veteran himself, serving in the Navy in the late 80s. It hasn’t been easy, managing the finances of the VFW, but he says he’s doing it for the veterans in the community as well as future veterans.
“I know that there’s a lot of vets out there that just got back from current war situations," said Robinson. "There’s a lot of disabled vets out there that may not understand exactly you know the services that they are eligible for.”
Now, Eric is trying different things to get membership up with things like live bands every Thursday and Saturday, and by helping veterans with online services. He says it's important to offer such support.
“We are kind of like off the beaten path if you will," Robinson said. "We’re in the Southtowns, we’re quite a ways from the Hosptial. There’s really not a lot of satellite offices. The closest satellite doctor's [office] is by the Southgate Plaza and it’s just hard for people to get around. Especially with the winter time coming. They can just come here.”
The VFW is open to members and non-members alike.
For more information on how to support VFW Post 5798 and information on fundraising events, head to their Facebook page.