TOM EADER
Bureau Chief

ST. CROIX - American Legion Post VI 102 members donated 1,350 disposable face masks to officials from the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services and Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged Wednesday on campus outside the home to support the nursing staff who work at the facility.
The Legionnaires from Post VI 102, based out of Peter's Rest, have adopted the home for the aged and annually give back to those who work at the facility.
Post VI 102 Commander Secundino Roman Cruz said the Legionnaires decided to donate face masks to Herbert Grigg while considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are proud that we can be able to accomplish one of our pillars, which is being involved with the community," he said while dropping off the masks. American Legion Post VI 102 donated 27 gift bags, each filled with 50 disposable face masks, distributed to all 27 nursing staff members who work at Herbert Grigg.
"In doing that, we appreciate the nursing staff also putting their lives on the line to come in and take care of the residents," Post VI 102 1st Vice Commander Annie Day Henry, who also serves as the post's public relations officer, said while donating. Ana Velez-Martinez, Herbert Grigg director of residential services, said she appreciates American Legion Post VI 102's partnership with the home for the aged.
"It's always welcome to receive extra supplies because it's something we need, and we use daily," she said. "We can never have enough masks."
Alvin Milligan, the acting assistant administrator of the DHS Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, which oversees Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged, said The American Legion is an organization that's "near and dear" to him because he is a member of American Legion Post VI 133 in Frederiksted. "So to have them make this donation, it makes me very proud," he said.
The face mask donation is a part of Post VI 102's COVID-19 Protection Project, which has included mailing masks to members of Post VI 102 on two separate occasions. "We want to protect our members and also join in protecting the public, because we're all in together," Henry said.
Post VI 102 also donated $500 to support My Brothers' Table soup kitchen in Frederiksted earlier this month to give back to the nonprofit organization that feeds homeless veterans.