Thanks to the community's generosity in buying its specialty candy bars, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2453 is able to help local veterans in need.

And with Memorial Day just a few days away, the VFW is again offering the custom-made chocolate bars for sale. Sold for $3, the bars can be found at Trinity at City Beach, UPS Store, and First American Title in Sandpoint and Mountain West Bank in Ponderay.

The handmade bean-to-bar confections, made from organic cacao from the Dominican Republic, are etched with the slogan “Freedom is Sweet.”

Money from the sale of the candy bars goes to the local post's welfare fund for veterans or their widows who are in need.

"Use that money to buy everything from gasoline for vehicles to groceries to whatever," said Rich Faletto of the VFW. "We have paid rent, we have paid dental care, and some of those kinds of things."

The fund allows the VFW to help their brothers and sisters in arms, Faletto said.

"Contrary to popular belief, the VA doesn’t provide money to do those kinds of things so we here locally in the spirit of neighborliness and good spirit, provide that money to veterans who are in need."

Faletto said VFW Post 2453 commander Larry Peterson gets two to three phone calls from veterans who need a helping hand. Requests are vetted to make sure veterans have a legitimate needs and were honorably discharged.

Faletto said the post and local veterans are grateful for the community's support. The post is equally appreciative of those businesses selling the chocolate bars in order to help veterans.

"The response has been very impressive in the past and we are so deeply appreciative of the response and the community's generosity toward veterans," he said. "We're very, very appreciative of that."

Any veteran who is in need can contact the post at 208-263-9613.

"If you need help or know someone who does, please reach out to VFW so we can help you," Faletto said.