Our Story
Born from Legacy, Driven by Purpose
Our story begins in 1919, when a group of war-weary World War I veterans came together to form The American Legion through an act of Congress. What started as a gathering of those who understood sacrifice has grown into over 2.4 million members supporting initiatives from 14,000 posts worldwide. Here in Florida, that legacy lives on through more than 130,000 members across nearly 300 posts. The American Legion, Department of Florida has influenced considerable social change and fought for veterans’ benefits, both across the state and on Capitol Hill.
From this rich history of service, PROJECT: VetRelief emerged as a focused response to a pressing need. When we discovered that 29% of Florida veterans are struggling financially—caught in what’s known as the ALICE threshold—we knew we had to act. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are our veterans who work hard, often in multiple jobs, yet their income still falls short of what’s needed to afford basic household necessities like housing, food, childcare, transportation, and healthcare. They earn too much to qualify for traditional poverty assistance, but too little to achieve financial stability. They live paycheck to paycheck, one emergency away from crisis. These veterans have given everything to safeguard our nation. They deserve more than thanks. They deserve security and hope.
PROJECT: VetRelief is our promise made real. As an official program of The American Legion, Department of Florida, and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we focus on ensuring that service members have the backing they need to live successful and thriving civilian lives.
We offer a hand up, not a hand out—standing behind our service members with dignity.
This is our story: a legacy of care, a mission born from understanding, and a commitment to stand beside every veteran facing hardship. Beneath every statistic is a person who served, and behind every need is an opportunity to honor that service with action.