OTTUMWA — Helping hands. Several of those were busy in the kitchen Saturday evening at the O.B. Nelson Post No. 3, American Legion, 550 W. Main St.

The Legion Auxiliary prepared and served a meal of beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, salad, dessert and beverages. They even set up take-out orders if requested.

Why? To help the Ecumenical Lord’s Cupboard. As they said in Friday’s Courier, the Legion Auxiliary wanted to help the Cupboard, “which provides food to individuals in need.”

Auxiliary President Judy Agee said the Legion women have decided to “help some charity” on the first Saturday of the month. The next event will be 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and they’ll raise some funds for the Salvation Army.

“One of the things we do is community service so we decided to help some charity in the community once a month,” she said Saturday. “We did this years ago. [The auxiliary] was bigger then.”

A portion of the proceeds brought in by the auxiliary will be used for veterans and another portion will help local charities.

Agee also said the auxiliary’s Fall Bazaar will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Legion. They’ll offer baked goods and crafts for sale and host a luncheon. On the menu will be chili, hot dogs and hamburgers.

“It’s a pay as you go event,” she said. “Half the money from the bake sale will go to past presidents.”

Also, the auxiliary will use some of the proceeds for “veterans programs we support,” Agee added. The auxiliary has helped veterans at the VA Hospital, Knoxville, but that hospital had to close and the veterans are being moved to Des Moines.

The Legion Auxiliary also sponsors a program for children and youths and an Easter candy event for children at the Crisis Center. They donated funds to the Teen Center when it was open.

The auxiliary also has an education program, which includes a $500 scholarship given in the spring. Agee said applications for the scholarship are available at local schools.

Arvella Pottorff is a longtime auxiliary member and was at the benefit supper, along with her granddaughter, Misha Throckmorton, who’s in the U.S. Air Force and is home on leave.

“We had a chance to get away and come here, so we did,” Pottorff said.

Sandy Archer of Ottumwa said she decided to come to the supper because the auxiliary and the Lord’s Cupboards are “good things to support.”

For information about the American Legion Auxiliary, contact Agee, (641) 682-5666.