The New Orleans’ Veterans of Foreign Wars post is marking Veterans Day with a major renovation. A groundbreaking ceremony is set for 9 a.m.
Ten years ago there were five members of the VFW in New Orleans. Today, it’s 330.
Former post commander Marshall Hevron says the one-time storefront at Lyons and Annunciation streets Uptown is about to be replaced by a new version, designed on the original VFW post footprint.
Hevron says the renovation comes after six years of fundraising.
“This will be a game changer for us because we’ve really been working out of a space that was wholly inadequate for a long time now. We just had decades of deferred maintenance," he said.
The space will be used for services that now include assisting veterans with VA claims, homeless outreach and lodging for veterans staying in New Orleans while undergoing treatment for traumatic brain injuries.
“The plan is to have the construction done by next summer because the national VFW convention will be in New Orleans and we want to be able to host VFW members from around the country,” he said.
The two apartments on site will remain in use for veterans getting medical services during the renovation.
