A Sunday evening visit from the National Commander of the American Legion “felt like a huge pat on the back,” said Joe Carey, commander of Port Townsend's Marvin G. Shields Memorial Post 26.

“It was recognition that this little post in Port Townsend has been doing something right,” Carey said Tuesday, recalling a spate of improvements made over the past seven years.

National Commander Michael D. Helm spent the evening shaking hands and sharing stories with local legionnaires Oct. 19, as well as touring the Port Townsend post and its basement winter homeless shelter before joining a select group of about 50 people for a salmon dinner in the legion's hall.

SHELTER IMPROVEMENTS

While touring the shelter, which is set to open for its ninth season the weekend following Thanksgiving, Carey and others couldn't help but brag.0.

Since first opening to the area's homeless in 2006, some $200,000 in improvements have been made, including the installation of new washing and drying machines for onsite laundry. As Carl Hanson, who is the preacher at Port Townsend's Church of Christ and a co-chair of the Community Outreach Association Shelter Team (COAST) responsible for operating the shelter, boasted about how many loads of laundry can now be done, Helm chimed in to say, “I should have brought my laundry.”

“He was very impressed with the shelter,” Carey said.

Helm spent as much time visiting with the roughly 100 people who crowded into the legion's building at 209 Monroe St., greeting nearly everyone before dining in the hall.

“He came in and I shook his hand and he worked the room as well as anybody I've seen,” Carey said.

Following dinner, which was prepared and served by Manresa Castle chef Jason Sherfick and a volunteer wait staff lead by Bob Saring, Carey spoke of how far the post has come since he became involved in 2007.

“Eight years ago we were broke,” said Carey, correcting himself to acknowledge the post was actually in debt. “We didn't know it. There was a change of management. It turned out we owed about $20,000. Today we have a small amount of money in the bank and all our bills are paid.”

Carey said he did not expect to get involved upon attending an executive committee meeting of the post in January 2007.

“That night the finance officer quit and I got appointed for the duration of his term,” he remembered. “Now I've been commander for seven years.”

In that time, membership has doubled and continues to grow, some $160,000 have been spent on various improvements to the post's hall, club area, bar and building exterior, and the post's finances are now in the black.

VOLUNTEERS RECOGNIZED

Following Sunday's dinner, Carey recognized four dedicated volunteers for their continued service over the past eight years – Bob Yarr, Ken McMillen, Janet Emery and Carey's wife Louis Walczak.

“Without those four people over the last eight years, we could not have done what we did to turn this post around,” Carey said.

Yarr said Carey was someone others could get behind.

“When Joe Carey came in, his approach was one Ken and I believed in,” said Yarr. “It felt like he wanted to run it like a business and he had a plan and he took it one thing at a time. We prioritized every project and identified a reason it had to be done. It got to be fun.”

McMillen said he and Yarr revived the post's bar when they got involved about eight years ago and “got a pretty good clientele going during that time.” The two would dress in white shirts, bow ties and hats while tending bar on Monday evenings, attracting a growing crowd of regulars.

"Under Joe's leadership, Ken and I worked very close together at the legion,” Yarr said, adding that both volunteered.

“Everyone down there is a volunteer,” McMillen said. “If we had to support a paid staff, it would be a very tough go.”

Carey said before he came on board, management paid staff, which appeared to make it difficult to balance the budget. He said turning to the membership for volunteers has made a big difference.

“We've got a good, key group of people who will get out and paint the building and put in their time, as well as businesses that have been very helpful,” McMillen said. “When we need something, we don't always need to get out in the street and beg because we have a number of members who won't hesitate to write a check.”

Carey said lower operating costs and greater community involvement has brought the post to a place financially where it can give back. That's why an education fund was established this year with the goal of raising $3,000 each year to award three $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors in Jefferson County.

“We've managed to fix most of the things that needed to be fixed, so this is part of the evolution of our financial situation,” Carey said, adding that their fundraising goal has already been met for this year and scholarships will be award in spring 2015. “We've fixed enough things that we can ask, 'how can we help some kids around here?'”

Carey said after eight years leading the post, he plans to step down effective July 1, 2015. The membership would elect a new commander in May of 2015.

“Some people would say I've set the bar pretty high,” Carey said, adding that he's tired after putting in more than 20,000 total hours. “It's been a wonderful experience but an absolute full time job.”

Carey said he doesn't anticipate his leaving the post will slow down its progress, largely because of the community and volunteer support he's built up over the years.

“I've got a pretty good bunch of people here,” he said. “It looks like I have to do a lot, but all I really have to do is get out of the way.”