Veterans turn to their local American Legion for a sense of belonging, socialization and to serve the community. Soon, members of one American Legion post will be able to gain computer skills and safely navigate the internet.

National Grid awarded the American Legion Dunbar Post 1642 a grant for $15,000 to purchase laptops, software and printers for use by its members. The post, located in Syracuse’s Westcott neighborhood, will also provide skills training to its members who don’t own a computer or aren’t technologically savvy. The sessions will be led by retired IT professionals who are also associate members of the post.

“The important thing is access,” said Herb Dunmore, commander of Dunbar Post 1642. “We want to enlighten and enable our aging members so they can access what’s available to them.”

Dunmore said the ability to view benefits information from Social Security, Medicare and the Veterans Administration is out of reach for many of the post’s members, either because they cannot afford their own computer or aren’t comfortable navigating the internet. Members conducting the training will provide one-on-one and small group training, including basic computer skills and how to stay safe online.

National Grid’s support for Dunbar Post 1642 aligns with its Project C initiative, the company’s commitment to improve the communities it serves. The post’s program fulfills two pillars of this promise: neighborhood development and community investment, and environmental justice and social equity.

“What Commander Dunmore has proposed for Post 1642 embodies the spirit of community,” said Alberto Bianchetti, National Grid’s regional director of customer and community engagement. “Members giving back to the post to help their fellow veterans is inspiring on its own and it’s our pleasure to provide the resources to make this program a reality.”

The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic veteran’s organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. The historic Dunbar Post 1642 celebrates its 76th year in 2023, having been founded as one of the first American Legion posts in the nation to allow black veterans to join.

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