The Joyce-Herbert Veterans Museum in Bayonne, N.J., has been paying tribute to local war heroes since it opened in 2006. However, securing the funding to keep the museum's doors open to the public hasn't always been easy.
According to The Jersey Journal, the Bayonne veterans museum is currently struggling to stay open. Members of the museum told the news source that it costs about $2,000 per month to run the facility – an amount that is sometimes hard to come by.
"We count on donations to keep running," Glen Flora, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 226, told the news outlet. "I want to keep the museum alive. I want to keep it permanent."
In addition to the monthly payments, the museum also had about a $14,000 in back electric bills. Flora told the news source that several city officials, such as Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, are helping the museum with donations and grants.
Despite the lack of funding, the museum's members are determined to continue the facility's already-established legacy in the north Jersey area. Featuring military artifacts dating back to the Civil War, the museum is a leading source of information for local schoolchildren, interested residents and those adjusting to life after service. The museum has had more than 8,000 visitors since 2006, including local politicians.