BOWLING GREEN is known for many things. Thanks to companies such as General Motors Assembly Plant and Bowling Green Metalforming, it is most widely recognized as a manufacturing city. The city is home to the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky University and a minor league baseball team, the Bowling Green Hot Rods. It’s internationally known for a 7-mile cave system called Lost River Cave and is home to America’s favorite car, the Corvette. It also boasts a rich and proud history dating back to the Revolutionary War.
But all of the above merely scratches the surface of Bowling Green’s true heartbeat because when you look further, you will see that the city’s true gem is its people.
A town of around 70,000, the folks of Bowling Green have a deep devotion to their community. While they roll out the welcome mat for visitors, their first priority is and always will be taking care of their own.
Glenn Skaggs knows this firsthand. Skaggs, an Army veteran, is a member of the American Legion Post 23 (AL Post 23) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 98. He has participated in numerous community outreach projects during his time with both organizations. Skaggs stated that helping the community is at the core of what the organizations are about.
“I have been a member of the Legion for the last several years. I got involved with them because I was the commander of the VFW,” he stated. “There’s a lot of us that are dual members. The Legion building is home to the American Legion, the Marine Corps League, VFW, and AMVET Post 130. All organizations are under one roof, with most members of all four. We work year-round helping when and where we can.”
Children are among those closest to the heart of the AL 23. Projects such as Toys for Tots allow the Skaggs and other volunteers to deliver the joy of Christmas to thousands of children in Bowling Green and surrounding counties. In 2023, the group showed their support by providing nearly 90,000 toys for over 19,000 children in 17 counties in Kentucky.
Additionally, AL Post 23 hosts an annual holiday event, Cookies with Santa. The event, sponsored and put on by the VFW Auxillary, allows children to visit Santa and have their picture taken with him, enjoy food and activities, and receive gifts.
“This is the eighth year for the event, and the kids absolutely love it, along with the ladies of the auxiliary who love hosting it for them,” said Skaggs.
Skaggs added that the late Robin Skaggs founded the event, which continues in her memory.
Their support of the community’s youth doesn’t stop there. Skaggs said there are numerous programs that help AL Post 23 support the community’s youth in several ways.
“There is a VFW Patriot’s Pen program for kids that offers scholarships and things. The program is for freshmen to seniors,” said Skaggs. “We have what they call ‘Voice of Democracy,’ which helps students receive small scholarships and other awards. We are a significant supporter of Warren County Public Schools and Bowling Green Independent City Schools. We are always looking for ways to help.”
Veterans are another group that Skaggs said AL Post 23 is committed to showing support to.
“We host meals for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, where area veterans can come out and enjoy food and fellowship. As former military ourselves, we are dedicated to taking care of, supporting, and recognizing veterans,” he added.
AL Post 23 is also on call in times of disaster. In 2021, a deadly EF-3 tornado destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, leaving the citizens of Warren County injured and homeless.
According to Skaggs, AL Post 23 worked with local city, county, and state government emergency management organizations, Warren County Fiscal Court, VFW, and AMVETS to establish a distribution center.
“We all got together the morning after the storms and decided to shut the VFW down,” Skaggs explained. “All four groups came together, and we used the facility from December to April as a drop-off and distribution place for food, clothes, and any type of supplies that people needed. We pulled together and worked nonstop. We were able to fill 28 tractor-trailer loads of goods that included food, water, clothing, hygiene items, and more. We [supported] over 3,000 local Bowling Green residents for post-disaster relief.”
Thanks to Skaggs’s efforts in tornado relief, the State VFW and Gov. Andy Beshear awarded him the first Humanitarian Service Award.
According to Skaggs, it’s all about working together. This camaraderie among organizations allows for success in each of the projects they take on. He added that what he loves most about Bowling Green is that everyone in the area continuously works together to ensure the community’s needs are met.
“We all come together to make sure those who are in need are being helped. There is always someone who wants to help, and that’s the great thing about this community,” he said.
He encourages those in the community who want to help their fellow neighbors to reach out and ask what they can do.
“There’s always good to be done. There’s always someone to help,” he said. GN
