CINCINNATI — Ohio's only all-female American Legion post may have found a new home after a WCPO December Homefront interview helped connect them with a local veterans service organization.
Commander Melanie Veal of American Legion Post 644 said the response to her story has been overwhelmingly positive, with many female veterans reaching out after learning about the group's existence.
"I have had so many people who have seen the interview and have come to me, and they have said, 'I didn't know you existed,'" Veal said.
The all-female post provides a space where women can share experiences that may otherwise be difficult to discuss in mixed-gender settings.
WATCH: Veal tells us how the community has reacted to her WCPO interview
"There are a lot of times that females don't want to interact with a male veteran concerning some of the things that they experienced in the military," Veal said.
When the story first aired, Post 644 was searching for a new location to hold its monthly meetings. Dave Corlett, director of military and veteran services with Easterseals Redwood, told us he saw the story and had an idea.
"Immediately, I knew that we had a great location that they'd be able to use," Corlett said.
Corlett and Veal had a meeting last week to talk about the post using the space as its new home.
The potential new space is located along Gilbert Avenue and has already hosted several female veteran events.
"One of my main purposes here is to expand our reach, the people's knowledge about the center. I can't help veterans that don't know I exist, so they provide that to me as well as we can provide them a location for their meetings," Corlett said.
Veal told us she's excited about the partnership possibilities with Easterseals Redwood.
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"They have had some female veteran activities here," Veal said. "Now that they know that we exist and they have communications with female veterans that come to their centers, we're going to just merge and cross and get into some things with them."
But the collaboration represents more than just a place to meet. For Veal, it serves as an opportunity to expand outreach to female veterans who may not know about available resources and support networks.
"Since the interview, there's been a lot of communication, people asking for more feedback (and) information, so I'm excited," Veal said.
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