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Local News

Barry County offers many programs to aid its veterans

Barry County veterans may have problems they don’t know how to resolve, but they also have a network of services that can help them that they may not even know about.

 

Finding a solution to a problem for a veteran starts by contacting with the Barry County Veteran’s Affairs Office, located in the Barry County Enrichment Center,  at 231 South Broadway in Hastings.

Veterans and their families receive the support they have earned by leveraging community resources coordinated through Barry County's Mission United Program and other veteran’s services. 

 

Mission United is the only veterans’s affairs agency in the state affiliated with a United Way, which immediately opens up many resources that are available to all Barry County residents.

Add to that, state and federal program for veterans, and it gives the Mission United paid staff of six many more options to help the veterans, as well as emergency services.  And, services centered in one location make it easier to take care of needs.

 

Pattrick Jansens, Mission United program director, said veterans can always call, but he prefers to talk to the vet and their family personally rather than on the telephone because it promotes clarity and easier understanding.

Often the vet’s original problem is one of several, and solutions may involve more than one programs, Jansens said. “It all depends on their needs; everyone is different.”

Many times everything develops by conversation. “We ask a lot of questions to get to know how to line up help; we try to eliminate barriers.”

Benefits for veteran can get complicated, and it is not surprising that help is needed to get through a maze of unfamiliar requirements and policies, he said.

 

The VA also helps veterans, but offices are in Grand Rapids or Battle Creek. The VA is a massive organization divided into three entities, veteran’s benefits, the health association and national cemeteries

Some agencies have office hours one day a week at Misson United which means they don’t have to send a veteran to other locations.

The Salvation Army, Michigan Veteran’s Affair Agency, Department of Health and Human Services are there now, and Michigan Works! will begin hours in May. Jansens schedules appointments, replacing the old method of showing up and sitting waiting for a turn to talk to someone about a need.

Barry County Cares, The Family Support Center, CASA and Community Action Agency all work to help veterans. Housing, rental, mortgage and property tax help, transportation, home repairs, utility and food assistance are just some of the resources available.

 

“We provide guidance and resources; at the end of the day they make the decisions.” Jansens said. “We do our best to help in any way we can. I can’t do it alone, but we can do it together.”

 

In 181 general cases in 2016, 400 veterans received medical benefits assistance, $19,248 in housing and utility assistance and $8,918 in emergency aid from the Soldiers and Sailors Relief Fund.

For help call 250-945-1296, or visit www/barrycounty.org/veteran_affairs or  www.bcunited way.org.

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