By Janice Sina
(March 5, 2026) — Think about March 21st. It’s mud season, too early to plant much, too early for tee-ball or soccer, maybe a bit too early for that bike ride. So, come out to the Veterans Fair and Open House. A Veterans Fair? If the image of a group of older men sitting around, smoking cigars and drinking beer comes to mind, let Jim Woodworth and Sheldon Potesak show you otherwise at the Veterans Fair and Open House to be held on March 21, 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the former Haddam Elementary School. At Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts across the nation, eligible veterans span all ages and bring family members into the fold to support not only their VFW Post, but also to make their community a better place.
But according to Woodworth, Quartermaster of the Haddam-Higganum Post, his post currently has only twenty-five members, not enough to sustain it. “We can do so much more for the community and the vets in the area if we have more members,” he says. So this fair and open house is more than a fun community event. It’s a call to veterans in town and surrounding towns to join the post and keep it viable.
Membership has been decreasing over the years. Members move away or pass on, and few new members have joined. Woodworth says there are only four or five active members of the twenty-five, which is not enough to fill officer positions. “We need physical bodies, active veterans in the post,” he says. Only then can they truly serve their fellow veterans and their families. This Open House, then, is designed to show veterans and their families the potential benefits of joining, especially younger vets. Potesak says, “We want this to bring out the younger crowd, because a lot of people come out of service looking for support and benefits.”
The Fair will host an impressive array of participants:
- Husky Insurance, Nutrition, and Dental
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
- Eastern Connecticut Veterans Community Center
- Community Renewal Team
- Education about PTSD, TBI, and Suicide Prevention provided by Willow Clauson
- Paws of War, an organization that provides service animals to vets, first responders and their families
- Veterans INC, an organization that addresses homelessness
- Home Base Veterans, and organization that provides clinical care, wellness and education to vets and their families at no cost
- Starlight Program and their Patriot Support Program for vets struggling with substance abuse, PTSD, and mental health issues
There also will be information about scholarships for the Patriots Pen Essay Contest and similar programs. And, of course, there will be snacks. The idea is to encourage veterans to join the VFW Post, especially if they’re looking for help in any of these aspects.
Why are local posts so important? VFW posts are funded based on the number of members. “Numbers have clout in Washington, D.C.,” Woodworth states. For example, the PACT Act (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act), passed in 2022, couldn’t have been passed without the voices of the veterans lobbying Congress. This piece of legislation expands healthcare and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxins. It also increases eligibility for Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 veterans, as well as those who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Southeast Asia locations. It also mandates toxic exposure screening. More than 1.9 million veterans have had claims approved since its inception. As warfare becomes more sophisticated, the levels and types of support have changed for the younger generations who serve and the VFW posts are here to help guide all vets in this process.
Younger veterans returning from service typically take some time to acclimate before joining–finishing school, securing jobs or raising families–and then they join in their 40s or 50s. But these vets find themselves in a fast-changing world, while shouldering the physical and emotional traumas of war. Joining earlier, they can benefit from the support systems in place, as well as from knowing they’re not alone.
That’s the ultimate goal: veterans helping veterans. But it can’t be done effectively without a home base, meaning a VFW post to work from. The Haddam-Higganum VFW Post has been here for its members for years, providing support, camaraderie, and a sense of community to veterans and their growing families. Be a part of its continuing service. Come out on March 21, 2026 to support VFW Post 10690.
