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Local VFW group outlines veteran “safe space,” emergency‑hub plans and growing community events
Summary
Representatives of VFW Post 9594 and the holding corporation UNITAS (as presented) told the Ravena Village board they’ve renovated their post, created a veteran 'safe space' and are seeking additional funding to finish furnishing the space; they also reported large attendance at their annual Easter egg hunt and asked for the village’s help promoting services and volunteer recruitment.
Steve Junkkins, who introduced himself as incoming commander of VFW Post 9594, told the Ravena Village board on April 21 that the post has been renovated and is positioning itself as a community resource that could operate as an emergency hub. "We applied for a grant to get a generator to make our post be all‑weather capability," Junkkins said, adding that the post has Wi‑Fi, kitchen facilities, water and a location centrally accessible to transportation routes and the Red Cross.
Junkkins described UNITAS (presented in the meeting transcript as the holding corporation for the area posts) as the organization that owns and maintains the building and collects rent from the posts that use it. He said the group has refurbished the post top to bottom, including a new roof, new HVAC and a remodeled basement the group is calling a veteran "safe space," with a bathroom, shower and separate entrance to allow veterans a private place to decompress.
"We've actually gotten two $75,000 grants and we've gotten two $20,000 grants from the county," Junkkins said, adding that those funds and the group’s own money—"about $190,000" as presented—paid for the renovation work. He said the group still needs funding to furnish the safe space (beds/couches, basic supplies) and plans to seek additional county support.
Christine Snider (transcript spelling also appears as "Snyder"), the post auxiliary member who coordinates the annual Easter egg hunt, thanked the board for its ongoing support and described the event’s scale and accessibility features. Snider said organizers staged a sensory area for children with special needs and reported using roughly 8,750 eggs; she stated an attendance figure of about 3,375 children for this year’s hunt as presented to the board. "We purposely make a space for that; it's just very inclusive and it's appreciated," she said.
Both Snider and Chris Parker asked trustees to help promote the post’s community uses—room rentals for families, support for volunteer recruitment and outreach about available veterans’ services. Parker also described plans for the post to host periodic veterans’ service officer (VSO) hours so residents can meet with a representative to pursue VA claims and benefits locally.
The board thanked the presenters and several trustees encouraged a tour of the facility. Speakers stressed the post’s willingness to work with police and town staff to make the space available to residents and first responders if an emergency arises.
The veterans’ representatives closed by inviting trustees to keep the post in mind for community events and noting that the post seeks younger members to sustain services in the future.
The board did not take a formal vote on any request from the presenters during the meeting; follow‑up on funding or formal agreements would require future staff work or separate board action.
