As New York City marks Veterans Day, some local veterans say their community spaces are at risk of disappearing.

Commanders at three Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Queens say they are struggling to stay open and attract new, younger members.

What You Need To Know

Commanders at several Queens Veterans of Foreign Wars posts say they’re struggling to cover expenses and recruit new members

There are 31 VFW posts left in New York City, down more than a dozen from a decade ago

Local posts say city grants often require upfront costs they can’t afford

National VFW membership has fallen from over 2 million in the 1990s to about 1.4 million in 2024

“Just trying to keep the doors open is a big struggle,” said Sean Baltrusitis, an Army veteran and commander of VFW Post 551 in Middle Village.

“We we constantly have to worry about make sure the lights stay on,” added Ryan Graham, a U.S. Air Force veteran and commander of VFW Post 150 Corona.

The city’s VFW posts rely on membership dues, the rental of their space, fundraising and donations to pay operating costs. Baltrusitis said that often means members cover expenses themselves.

“A lot of members up in here — if it wasn’t for them, the doors would be closed,” he said. “Everybody goes into their own pockets.”

In the 2025 City Council budget, more than $3.3 million was set aside for veteran service initiatives, according to city records. More than two dozen nonprofits received discretionary funding, but fewer than six of those were veterans service organizations such as local VFW posts.

Some commanders say the city’s grant system is usually only available as reimbursement, but for most posts, that’s not an option.

“When you apply for the grants, you have to spend the money first and then submit the bills,” said Neil Jordan, an Army veteran and commander of VFW Post 1896. “Well, if I had the money to spend, why would I need a grant?”

Others point to the complex application process as another barrier.

“There’s passport portfolio that you have to have upload all this all this information, and to me it’s kind of biased in a way because I don’t even know what I’m doing,” Baltrusitis said.

There are 31 Veterans of Foreign Wars posts remaining across the five boroughs, including 17 in Queens. Leaders estimate more than a dozen have closed over the last decade, leaving fewer gathering spaces for veterans and their families.

The VFW says it has helped more than 593,000 veterans nationwide receive a combined $14.6 billion in VA disability benefits. In Queens, Graham said his post provides free assistance to veterans filing benefits claims.

“We pull out our laptops to just help a couple veterans or their spouse or their families in filing claims, and we do it for free,” said Graham, who also serves as a VA-accredited service officer.

Graham and post quartermaster Edie Argueta have managed to grow their membership from 27 to 117 members over the last two years through outreach and new programming, changing the reputation of what many veterans understand the posts to be.

“We’re looking at taking some of the old-school stuff, ideas, and infusing them with new ones that cater to us as post-9/11 vets,” Graham said.

But most local VFW posts have not had the same success with recruiting new and younger members.

Nationwide, VFW membership has declined sharply over the past 30 years — from more than 2 million in the early 1990s to about 1.4 million in 2024.

Though, commanders in Queens are hopeful their recruitment efforts will appeal to younger veterans.

“There will be a time when they are going to need us,” Baltrusitis said. “Especially when it comes to processing claims or any additional veteran benefits, you are going to wish you had that membership where you can learn and grow from other generations of veterans.”