VFW Richard J. Gross Memorial Post 8896 in East Berlin, PA. STILL SERVING the COMMUNITY: We had a great year. Our commander Gary Kopp and Auxiliary president Bill Caldwell Helped to make 2023-2024 a great year. Here are just a few things we do to help make this a better place to live. Our Memorial team and Color Guard run by Bill Kennedy, are still serving the community. They provide memorial ceremonies to our Veteran families. They provided color guard to various organizations;, they provided a Color Guard to the National Chaplins Banquet, these are just a few duties we performed. Our Post sponsorsers 6 blood drives each year. We helped the central PA Blood bank with approximately 300 pints of life saving blood each year. With the help of our auxiliary one of our important agenda’s is promoting patriotism with our Young Americans. Our Patriot Pen and Voice of Democracy has produced a state winner, and a second place winner within the last few years. We have encouraged our young people to keep patriotism in their hearts. We make commitments to helping. If you would like to help the VFW or Auxiliary there are so many ways to help. We have provided care packages to those overseas, we have a Halloween Party , Easter Egg Hunt and Christmas Party for children. We encourage patriotism with the Patriot Pen, Voice of Democracy and Coloring projects for our soon to be leaders still in schools. In December we will be having our Wreaths Across America ceremony. We have this at the East Berlin cemetery. We typically have a few hundred people that attend. We invite all to attend. We just had our Memorial day ceremony. We had a full ceremony at 8 cemeteries and one at the post. We invite the community to attend and afterwards everyone is invited upstairs for something to eat. Our post VFW is so lucky to have a very active Auxiliary. We work closely to provide good things to our post, community and schools. List of some of the organizations we supported in 2023- 2024. PA Wounded Warrior Foundation For Love of a Veteran organization Roots For Boots organization Selfless Service Shining Stars Foundation Gold Star Families We support our Local Police and Fire departments Make a wish Boy Scouts , Cub Scouts and Girl Scout troops. Local Libraries New Oxford and Bermudian Springs Schools organizations. Adams county Art Council Wreaths Across America USO Diane Klunk breast cancer Hoffman homes Wild Turkey hunt for vets Adams County Community Foundation Special Olympics Golf Challenge Salvation Army Am Red Cross; Northeastern H.S. Veteran trip to D.C. VISTA for Autism Gettysburg H.S. S.T.A.R.S breakfast Conewango Carvers; Salvation Army National Museum of Army. Alzheimers Assoc Hoffman Homes Unit Xmas party for 28th Infantry Division American Cancer society The Wellbrook Campaign Central Food Bank ; Gettysburg H.S. JROTC. South Regional K9 .; Susquehanna Srv dog Project Liberty ship Chesapeake ; Margaret Moul Foundation Adams County rescue Quilts for Valor and Toss for Jess ( cancer fund ). E.B. community singers East Berlin Fish and game. New Hope Ministries; If you are able to help us to help others please contact the VFW Post 8896.