DURHAM – With membership dwindling and winter approaching, a longtime Durham veterans’ organization is on the brink of extinction.

The Durham AMVET Post 13, a longtime pillar of the Durham community, is in danger of shutting its doors for good, as a drop in building rentals, declining membership and an increase in choices for veterans have all left the organization in a constant state of financial hardship, said Chad Burke, the vice commander for the group.

“There’s really no other way to put it,” said Burke, 38, an active duty National Guardsman who did a stint in Afghanistan two years ago. “It’s the topic that dominates our discussions: How can we afford to keep the hall going month to month?”

Burke is one of only seven members – there are 41 dues-paying members – who attend the twice monthly meetings at the building on 1049 Royalsborough Road.

“When I joined five years ago, the membership was triple what it is now,” he said. “The average age of our members is 58 or 60, and if it wasn’t for me, the number would be higher. As it is now, our yearly membership barely covers one month of our overhead. That’s the basic needs – lights, heat and the phone.”

The Durham chapter was started in 1974 and has served veterans and the community at large through a variety of outreach efforts, including helping low-income families obtain heating fuel and assisting elderly veterans with medical appointments.

Burke said the AMVETS was established in 1944 to help returning World War II veterans adjust to civilian life. The organization is an advocate for America’s veterans issues such as employment training, mandatory funding for government provided health care, and other benefits to which they are entitled to. According to Amvets.org, unlike other organizations, membership is open to anyone who is serving, or has honorably served, in the U.S. Armed Forces from World War II to present, including those in the National Guard and Reserves. The organization, based in Langam, Md., has 180,000 members and 39 state departments and more than 1,150 posts nationally.

AMVETS national service officers, accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs, provide free claims assistance to veterans, their dependents and survivors. AMVETS members also donate their time to the lives of hospitalized veterans and promote quality-of-life programs such as Special Olympics or Scouting. Among a long list of accomplishments, AMVETS has helped fund restoration and construction projects for the USS Arizona Memorial and the Statue of Liberty. Each year the group donates $40,000 to various scholarship funds across the country, according to the organization.

Of particular interest are issues related to veterans’ health care and other entitlements, POW/MIA accountability, national defense and flag protection. On a local level, the Durham AMVETS sponsored the town’s Memorial Day Parade this year and last week held a Harvest Moon Halloween Party to benefit the post. Fundraising efforts have stalled in recent years as more and more people look elsewhere to host community events, a big part of revenue for the Durham Post 13, which rents the space for a relatively modest sum, said Burke.

“It’s what keeps us alive,” said Burke. “It’s been used for a variety of functions over the years, but unfortunately, the community support isn’t there now. To be honest, it’s not the community’s responsibility. It’s really a veterans’ issue.”

The issue, said Burke, concerns choice and a welcome change in attitudes toward veterans. Where once a veteran sought refuge in organizations such as the AMVETS, a generally supportive public has fueled a new era of respect and appreciation for soldiers. This is turn has led to a surplus of resources and support, said Burke.

“Post-Sept. 11, it has changed to a much more appreciative environment than veterans in Korea or Vietnam had,” he said. “It’s so easy for a military member to get help or to contact someone through social media who may know where to turn. So this has had an impact on membership. The last 10 or 20 years have been difficult.”

In September, Veterans of the Mid-Coast Council, a nonprofit organization, opened its headquarters at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station.

For Bill Washburn, a member of the Durham AMVET group off and on since the 1970s, keeping the building operational represents a victory for members and the community.

“If we can get it back and running, it would be great. It’s the only local place [for veterans] to have birthday parties and other functions,” he said.

When asked why interest seemed to be fading, he cited the changing attitudes of veterans and society as a whole.

“I understand because when a veteran returns, he wants to spend time with his family,” said Washburn, who served in the Marines from 1964 until retiring in 1990. “When I first joined the AMVETs in the 1970s, we had well over 100 people. It’s now an over-50 crowd, where as before it was an under-50 crowd.”

Burke said something would be lost if the Durham AMVET Post 13 is forced to shut its doors permanently.

“We want to continue to be the local option,” he said. “It’s hard to put into words what it would mean to close. We want to keep it alive to keep alive the memories of those who served.”

The Durham AMVET Post 13 on Royalsborough Road is facing an uncertain future. The organization is down to seven active members and is in danger of closing its doors for good as membership dwindles and hall rentals plummet.