Guest blog post by Department of Wisconsin member Maggie Geiger
 
The American Legion Family of Ozaukee County, Wisc., which includes members of the Legion, Auxiliary, and Sons of The American Legion, participated in a countywide food drive to commemorate the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service to contribute to our communities while participating in The American Legion Family’s USA 250 Challenge.
 
Ozaukee County Legion Family members of the seven units/posts that make up Ozaukee County — or as we like to say, the Land of OZ — were asked to donate 250 items of food to their local food pantries. Ozaukee Food Alliance, Port Washington Food Pantry, Cedar Grove Food Pantry, and Family Sharing received over 1,200 pounds of food items, including pet food and cash donations of over $1,000 — with more donations coming in — and delivered on a balmy -2 degree day.
 
The need to help our school-aged children is imperative — a bag with protein-enriched food, as well as a few fun items, are given to the students weekly. This is done secretively to maintain dignity to the student and their families. This is a need that units in Ozaukee continue to support.
 
Ozaukee County Council could not do this without the support of our community members who helped with donations. The need for food in Ozaukee County and other communities is greater than most of us realize. Pantry shelves are running low; let us all consider making a donation of food or a monetary donation to our local pantries.
 
Caring for our neighbors in times of need makes us all grow stronger as The American Legion Family and in our communities. No individual should go to bed with an empty tummy, especially the youngest members in our communities.
 
As county president, I am very proud to have had all posts and units participate in this challenge. Some of our units/posts have a very small number of members, as well as live in very small communities. They even share school districts.
 
This challenge went over well with our members. I have been asked to make this a yearly, county project.