Veterans Department
Submitted by momoaizo on Wed, 05/09/2007 - 1:16pm
The Moore County Veterans Office has been providing services for Veterans since 1945. Their mission statement is “To advise Veterans, widows and dependents of rights and benefits under federal, state and local laws and file claims under these laws.”
George Hunt, our local director has served for 17 years and is a Certified Veterans Advocate. He is accredited to present claims before the VA and is also past president of the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers. He has two other staff members, Cynthia Brewer who has served for 7 years and Carla Johnson who has served for 2 years. Mr. Hunt says that they are a “World Class Staff”.
I failed to get a picture of him before he left and they do not have their own website, so I will link to the Division of Veterans Affairswhere you can get much more information.
Veterans Services not only serve veterans, but also spouses, widows, children and parents of veterans. They also provide services to Social Services and funeral homes. A veteran’s widow is eligible for a death certificate through this department free-of-charge.
The VA Health Care Act of 1996 authorized them to provide a “Uniform Benefits Package that emphasized preventative and primary care, offering a full range of outpatient and inpatient services”. Enrollment is income limited and the Vet gets to select the primary care location. Health care is portable across the whole VA system and a co-pay is income based. (The problem here is that the Republicans have allowed the facilities to deteriorate to the point where this is no longer a good option for most Vets….my input, not Mr. Hunts)
Part of the assistance provided by the Veteran’s Services is Claims Processing. They can help with all things service connected, widows and childrens pensions, education, vocational rehab, home loans and insurance. They can also help with prosthetics, burial, grave markers, nursing home care, prescriptions, car and home subsidies and clothing allowances. The State Veterans Services have a scholarship program available for children of disabled and deceased NC Veterans. (They must have been in service during war-time, the child must be a life-time resident of NC and the disability must be 20% or more.) It is a 4 year scholarship for any state school, it provides full tuition and fees and under certain circumstances provides room and board.
One program that was very successful in Moore County was the Vets Helping Vets program. They had a group that got together on a regular basis and shared their problems. Whenever they could, they shared their experiences and tried to make the path a little easier for those that came after. Mr. Hunt said the program was so successful that they ended it, however with the problems coming out of the Iraq war, they may have to start the program again.
Veterans Services is an important program in both Moore County and North Carolina. We have so many bases here and many stationed at these bases fall in love with NC and decide to retire here as well. If you are trying to find the Veterans Services in your county, visit this website, Listing of County Veteran Services Offices. It provides the name of the director, the address and contact phone number.
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Yet another department doing the best they can
with the resources available.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
I wonder what Mr. Hunt would say
about the problems at the VA hospital in Salisbury?
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
How many services can we point to and
say that they were so successful they were no longer needed? Not many. It's good to know that the men and women returning from Iraq will have this help if they need it.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
I really did try to get him to give me a comment
on Walter Reed, but he didn't want to go there. I'm betting that he and people like him are very worried about keeping their jobs if they say anything about them.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
Unfortunately, he thinks he will have to restart this program
he has already been contacted by returning vets and PTSD is a real problem here as it is across America.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
PTSD
Yes, it's a real problem and adequate treatment is not available to enough of our veterans. There are too many barriers and too much stigma surrounding getting help.
It's shameful what Bush's war is doing to our troops. They are overextended, now having to fight to occupy a country (having been lied to) and then when they come home, they are not provided the benefits and services they deserve.
Despicable.
Great post, momoaizo!
Thanks NCDem, it was a pleasure to attend too
I learned so much about how our county works and how creative they have to get to be able to provide mandated (yet unfunded) services.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
My hat is off to them!
I majored in Social Work and did my internship at Child Protective Services. People who work in these county agencies often are working with one hand tied behind their back because the resources are just not there to help everyone you'd like to, at the level you'd like to.
I had a client say to me, all Social Services does is keep that last teaspoon of water out of the boat so we don't sink. She was right, sometimes that's all they can do.
We need better funding for preventative programs so that we don't just come in after the fact, but actually help people get on their feet early in life, before it does damage and is more costly. Pay now or pay more later.
Which brings up, yet one more time.
What has happened to old Dan Siler and his wife?
The people who take care of our Veteran's, like the teacher's that help us raise our children, should be among our most respected neighbors.
One man with courage makes a majority.
- Andrew Jackson
Been wondering that too Robert
haven't seen him here for a while. Does anyone have contact info?
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
Ah, something I do know a little about
It always bums me out to see the VA portrayed in a bad light (Walter Reed? stolen laptop making thousands of vets' info become compromised?). They've taken pretty good care of me since I was discharged, given the resources they've had, and I know a lot of others who would say the same. Unfortunately, like a lot of things in life, it takes just a few idiots to make a whole system look bad...
What worries me is how those already-stretched resources are going to stand up against the increasing numbers of wounded vets coming home and needing continuing care. Bad enough they're not getting the funding they need while they're active, but to have to come home to the same under-funding, mismanaged (in some cases) nonsense? Oy.
Sadly it's too true Steph
No planning there and no planning here.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
It's just ridiculous
Those men and women go over there, regardless of their personal feelings about the reasons we went to war or the management of government by the Bush Empire (and there are plenty of soldiers who have their doubts), and do their duty to protect us. The least this country can do is see to it that they're taken care of when they get home.
Oh wait, I forgot...you have to be a CORPORATION to get any kind of special treatment with the powers that currently be...
*grumble*