A badly needed renovation will help keep the AMVETS building open and active.

Elwin Beal, one of the “original 13” at AMVETS Post 13 in Durham, remembers a time when the place was hopping. Last Friday, Beal was part of a massive volunteer effort intended to put the veterans organization back on the right track.

Led by volunteers from The Home Depot of Topsham, those on hand renovated the inside and all around the outside of the AMVETS Post 13 building, which hit bottom last March when burst pipes rendered it unusable.

More than 75 volunteers from The Home Depot, the plant wholesaler Bonnie Plants and other organizations, as well as AMVETS members themselves, did a transformation of the property, located at 1049 Royalsborough Road.

“We used to have parties, dances, bean suppers, picnics, field days and bingo,” said Beal, 82, who got his hands dirty with the rest of the workers. “I think this will put us back up.”

AMVETS Post 13 has received a materials donation of $24,000 from The Home Depot, in addition to hundreds of hours of labor, to improve the hall and the grounds. Volunteers replaced the flooring, the ceiling tiles, the LED lighting, the windows, kitchen cabinets and counters, bathroom fixtures and vanities, and painted the walls. Outside, they tilled soil and planted flowers.

Subway of Freeport, Dunkin’ Donuts of Freeport, Hannaford of Auburn, Bow Street Market of Freeport and Country Kitchen all donated food for a noontime meal.

Chad Burke, Post 13 commander, expressed deep gratitude and hope.

“I reached out and contacted The Home Depot,” Burke said. “The Home Depot is committed to giving back to our communities, and especially to our veterans. I’m overwhelmed. We were literally ready to shut the doors because we didn’t have the funds to fix it. There are lots of memories here.”

“This is what we do,” said Bruce Calmes, store manager of The Home Depot of Topsham. “I’ve done numerous projects like this.”

Burke, who served with the Air National Guard in Afghanistan, said it’s “super huge” to have a veterans organization such as AMVETS serving the Durham community. Of the post’s 73 members, only about a dozen are active, but Burke sees that changing.

“Our mission is to be a place for veterans, whether it’s a resource or just a place for them to meet,” he said. “And it’s for their families, too. We want to be community-oriented and give out scholarships – to be what we need to be. We want to be who everybody talks about.”

The Durham chapter was started in 1974 and has served veterans and the community at large through a variety of outreach efforts.

The AMVETS was established in 1944 to help returning World War II veterans adjust to civilian life. The organization is an advocate for veterans issues such as employment training, health care, and other benefits to which they are entitled. 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.

“I tore all the tile off the upstairs floor when the pipes burst,” Beal said. “The basement had 3 inches of water.”

On Friday, it was rebuilt.

“I am beyond grateful for every single person who is here today,” Burke said.

Rue White, left, and Becky McCrohan, above, of The Home Depot, saw panels Friday, as a huge volunteer team works to renovate Durham AMVETS Post 13.Shane Reeves of The Home Depot replaces ceiling tiles. More than 75 volunteers from The Home Depot, the plant wholesaler Bonnie Plants and other organizations, as well as AMVETS members themselves, worked on the property renovations.In Durham, the AMVETS Post 13 entrance was transformed last Friday by volunteers, many from The Home Depot in Topsham. Here, Bob Beaupre of Bonnie Plants tills sod.Teresa Pennington, left, and Tim Hanlon of “Team Depot” plant flowers by the entrance to AMVETS Post 13 in Durham.  Staff photos by Larry GrardDarin Baker, left, finance officer for Durham AMVETS Post 13, and Commander Chad Burke are all smiles last Friday as a big volunteer effort to renovate the property begins.Staff photos by Larry Grard