The renovations are complete at the Veterans Memorial Building, the Commander of the VFW Post 666 Herold Delamater told the Beacon Free Press this week. Construction started in February 2023, in what was an planned project for the Veterans, but the public grew concerned and protective of the building when they saw fencing go up. Throughout the year, different upgrades have been made.

The building serves as a meeting location for many Veterans meetings and gatherings, as well as other events for the public, including FEMA needs when they happen. The Guardian Revival is also based there now, which is a non-profit with a mission to revive and preserve the mental health and well-being of veterans and first responders at no cost to them.

The Chief of Staff of the Guardian Revival, Deneen Kirsten, said this about the change the renovations have given veterans: “They [veterans] want to come in and hang out and they realize it’s a safe place. They then ask for help.’ Deneen told the newspaper that with the various programs the organizations are offering, some of the stigma is being lifted.

Tony Pulliam, a US Veteran who is the Commander of the Marine Corps League chapter in Beacon, told the Beacon Free Press that where they did not have a handicap ramp before, they have it now, by raising the front porch. They also planted new landscaping in front of the building. People may miss the pink flowering trees in the spring, but there must have been a reason to remove them.

The building is used 7 days a week, with over 200 volunteers, staff and membership accessing it. There is a new kitchen on the lower floor, which was provided by grants. The labor to install was all-volunteer, with the exception of the tile work, Pulliam told the Beacon Free Press.

“Years ago, no one even know what the building was,” Delamater told the newspaper. But now, the words VETERANS MEMORIAL BUILDING are inscribed at the top on the outside of the building.

Nearly $500,000 in improvements have been made to the building, which the veterans have organized, the Beacon Free Press reports. The Department of Veterans Services has awarded $60,000 for additional renovations. Some financing has come from the City of Beacon in years past under the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, but the veterans rely on fundraising to get their work and repairs complete.

Regarding Veterans Day, Herold told the Beacon Free Press: “It is a time for reflection across all branches. It is a time to support one another. We’re all one. We have to look out for one another. If someone is out there who needs something, we’re here. We don’t turn anybody away.”

The Veterans Memorial Building Team will be hosting a commemorative veterans event on November 30 from 6-8pm at the Veterans Memorial Building.