‘Tremendous outpouring’ of support
Frankfort VFW post gets financial help from the community
Since news spread of the financial woes of the Frankfort VFW Post 1493, there has been a “tremendous outpouring” of support from far and wide, Commander Stan Tylinski said.
A fundraiser also is planned for Jan. 16 at CD & ME in Frankfort, featuring Bernie Glim and the Country Roads Band.
Just a month ago, the commander and Vietnam veteran worried that he would have to close the doors on the post home at Sauk Trail and Pfeiffer Road after he discovered a pile of unpaid bills and taxes when he took over.
Since a Daily Southtown article ran Nov. 11, telling of the post’s plight, “It’s been hectic,” he said. “My phone has not stopped ringing. Donations have skyrocketed.”
Donations — many in the form of memorials of beloved veterans — poured into the GoFundMe page, surpassing the goal of $25,000, or arrived as checks in the mail from all over the country, in amounts ranging from $5 to $5,000, he said.
Many area VFWs offered a helping hand, and civic organizations have stepped up, too. Even a psychiatrist offered to donate his time to help veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, Tylinski said.
This response, he said, “was so unexpected.”
“We will be here next year. We are solvent,” he said. While they are able to keep the doors open and pay the current bills, he is looking at the financial future of the VFW, specifically its $80,000 mortgage and ongoing maintenance.
The GoFundMe campaign, which has ended, was a “BandAid,” providing enough to address immediate financial needs, he said.
Local leaders — including Frankfort Mayor Jim Holland, Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, his Deputy State’s Attorney Ken Grey, Frankfort Township Supervisor Jim Moustis and Tylinski — created a committee to look at the long term viability of the VFW.
The VFW’s plight “generated a lot of public interest to support the veterans,” said Holland, a veteran of the Coast Guard.
“Stan is an institution in our community. We want to help and support him, and do what the VFW thinks is best. It’s about how we can help them help themselves,” he said, acknowledging that the effort may take more than one year.
In the past, the VFW was part of a coalition of civic organizations that created the Beer and Entertainment Tent Association, in which all earned money by providing volunteers to serve in the beer tent at the Frankfort Fall Festival.
After 20 years, it disbanded in 2017, leaving the VFW without a major source of revenue, Tylinksi said.
Dean Vaundry, of CD & ME, said when he got a call from the mayor about hosting a fundraiser, “I didn’t have to think twice.”
“We want to do what we can to help them out. The VFW is in our backyard. If it wasn’t for veterans, we wouldn’t be here. We really appreciate them and want to thank them for their service,” he said.
Vaundry is donating his venue for the Jan. 16 fundraiser, which will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Bernie Glim and the Country Roads Band will perform for free, and a DJ also will provide free services. Aurelios will donate pizza, which will be available for sale, along with beverages, Vaundry said.
Tickets are $10 and are available at the VFW and at CD & ME, and all proceeds will go to the VFW, he said.
Holland said the committee’s goal is to “think long term” and maybe have an annual fundraiser to eliminate the mortgage.
Grey, who is also a Vietnam-era veteran, said the answers may be a long-term business plan, corporate sponsors and increased membership.
With new members and “younger blood,” they may be able to bring back the Friday fish fries, offer more activities and rent out the small hall, he said.
Tylinski said he wants to insure the post’s future and increase membership. If he can eliminate the mortgage, he would like to focus on building repairs and paving the gravel parking lot.
“People thought it was closed because it looks run down. But the money just has not been there,” he said.
“We want to set it up so we don’t have huge expenses in future. Once we’re stabilized, we want to return to our mission of helping veterans,” Tylinski said.
Members now have their collective “nose to the grindstone” and are investigating how they got into this predicament, Tylinski said.
Leadership at the post changes annually, said Tylinski, and he wants to make sure that going forward, all leaders know what they should do.
“The future is looking much brighter. This has been a big community effort. We are all working together,” said Sophie Wisch, Tylinski’s friend, who is keeping track of all donors, so they can thank each one personally.
She also hopes to reach out to women and restart the ladies auxiliary.
“Women know more about fundraisers than men,” she said with a laugh. “Everyone is welcome at the VFW. Come, and visit with the people here.”