The revelation of financial trouble at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 530 in Waterloo has prompted an outpouring of community support.

The latest development in that support is the announcement of a food truck festival planned for Nov. 11, after Remembrance Day ceremonies, outside the Legion’s Regina Street home.

“We need to support them, we need to remember what they did and we need to keep the tradition going,” says Brad Schmuck of Schmuck Truck, one of four food trucks that have signed up to participate.

The Legion’s debt issue first came to light in October, when the group announced publicly that they may have to sell their home due to debt of nearly $30,000.

Local businessman Paul McGough says when he learned of the issue, his mind immediately turned to how he could help.

“I decided to call on some friends in both the business and hospitality parts of the community to see what we could do,” he tells CTV News.

Within hours, the Insurance Bureau of Canada has committed to a $5,000 donation.

McGough then called on some of his connections in the food industry to help organize the Remembrance Day food truck festival.

Legion Branch 530 president Charlotte Daniel says she’s heartened by the support, and hopes it’s enough to keep the organization’s doors open – but it still may not be the current doors, as the Legion may still look to move into a smaller building and consolidate its operations.

“We’re in a very old building that requires continual, constant upkeep,” she says.

“We don’t want to continue to just survive. We want to become a viable veterans’ club again for our new veterans that are coming up.”

McGough says he wouldn’t have any issue with the Legion moving to a new building – he just wants them to be back on a sound financial footing.

“They still may decide to sell the building and downside to something that’s a more suitable for them, but the reality is that without this financial assistance, they may not have that as something they can decide,” he says.

Daniel says the Legion has also cut multiple paid staff positions and been buoyed by an increase in volunteers.

“We are doing our part and we are so thrilled that the community wants to help us stay afloat,” she says.