Neighbors work hand-in-hand for Meridian community

Published 10:14 am Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Friendships rarely happen by plan. That’s definitely true for two local community organizations who help each other in ways that really count.

Indeed, it all happened quite by accident one day when a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12124 met up with the neighbor across the street, Wesley House. The neighbor asked who cut the VFW’s grass because Wesley House needed someone to do the same for them.

A VFW Post 12124 member uses a chainsaw to cut limbs into more manageable pieces Friday as the post helped clean up around Wesley House. Submitted photo

When the neighbor got his answer – that a 74-year-old and a 82-year-old, both VFW members, themselves cut the grass at their newly bought property – a new friendship sprung up and blossomed.

On Friday, 24 VFW members (and friends) showed up en masse with everything needed to make the Wesley House shine like a bright new penny. They brought mowers, an ATV, rakes, saws and other tools, determined to help take care of something they could do themselves for a new friend.

“We as an organization – whose whole purpose is giving back to the community and to our veterans – knew the cleanup was something we should do for such a wonderful community neighbor like the Wesley House,” said VFW Post 12124’s new commander Ed Abdella.

After a group chat sent out the call to the 200 12124 members, two dozen helpers showed up at 6 p.m. ready to work.

“We had an ATV pulling rubbish, people stacking limbs … I was so impressed to see how many turned up to help,” Abdella added. “Within four hours, it was done. We had 21 members, one son and just two guys who showed up who were friends of the other members.

“We’re going to do this every two weeks or so to help Wesley House. We want to have a good relationship with all our neighbors, especially Wesley House, who loans us their lot for parking for families who come to the Winging Party’s event we have for those who are just getting their wings. So, it works well for us both, and we’re so glad to be affiliated with them.”

Wesley House Community Center Inc. is a nonprofit founded in 1904 by Elizabeth Cochran and Mrs. J.R. Whittaker and other ladies of the Central Methodist Church, who felt a calling to help others through missions. Its website states its purpose is “to provide a holistic approach in providing resources to those in need” through “a hand up, not a hand out.” It focuses on those dealing with crises.

Jon Farley said that an organization like the Wesley House “deserves all of the help they can get. I brought my 11-year-old Jackson as [to the cleanup] so that he could participate. … I wanted to teach him the virtue of charity toward others, helping those in need, even if indirectly. I hope to install in him a strong working ethic, especially when it is helping others.”

Joe “Lothar” Yoskovich, who serves as the chair of Post 12124’s House and Building Committee, said that though the post has had its charter since 2012, it’s taken a lot of work to get its own place.

“We only recently [in August 2024] secured our own home on Eighth Avenue,” he said. “Now we can really start contributing to the community. We are still under construction, but that’s no excuse for us not to be a good neighbor, The Wesley House is an amazing organization. We are proud to assist them with their groundskeeping – it’s a win-win partnership.”

Though she was out of town during the cleanup, Brandy Rea, who serves as Wesley House’s executive director, said she can’t thank the VFW members enough for their work.

“We really appreciate it and a ‘thank you’ truly isn’t enough,” she said. “We are more grateful than we can express.”

Several VFW members said they participated because it was a good thing, and they didn’t need any recognition.

“Not one of us – whether we served 30 years or three years – decided to show up and help another organization that gives to the community for any type of recognition,” said Mike Baker. “ … We are in it to win it for Meridian and our community of people.”

Jody Richardson, who helped facilitate communication of the cleanup, added, “It’s my pleasure to see two great organizations – that each have a place in my heart – working together for the betterment of the Meridian community.”

Lonnie Daughenbaugh added that Wesley House has “done so much good in the midst of so much overlooked bad. … [This shows] that people are willing to help, but it takes [organizational leadership in Meridian] to get these small actions to grow throughout the city.”

VFW Post 12124 members want to spread the magic of friendship by planning an October Family Day for the entire community. More information will be released this fall.

The VFW hall, located at 1531 Eighth St., is now available to be rented for events, with the funds going to helping local veterans.