Veterans Assistance Commission

On "The Week Ahead" posts I've sometimes referred to a Veterans Assistance Commission meeting that I had yet to attend and gave the best description I had from the County website. For example from this week's post:

The Veterans Assistance Commission meeting appears to mostly report on the commission itself, but I haven't attended one of these to know much about it yet (agenda here). Here's a description from the website of what this board oversees:

The Veteran's Assistance Commission (VAC) of Champaign County is a distinct unit of local government created by State Law and funded by Champaign County. The VAC is a temporary financial assistance program designed to help veterans that find themselves in need. The VAC is managed by a Board of Directors who are veterans representing the various veteran organizations in Champaign County.

Well, I finally made it to that one and found out that there's additional information and access through their new facebook page available here: https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignCountyVAC/. The local VFW Post 630 also has a brief information page here.

The programs are mainly funded by the county, but they're able to do additional work with funds raised in the community, for example the recent riders event (WCIA article and video here):

A motorcycle club made up of veterans donated $5,000 to the county's Veterans Assistant Commission.

The program helps veterans who are struggling to pay their bills. The American Legion Riders Post 568 raised the money at an event earlier this month.

Last year, they gave the commission about $4,200, which allowed the program to help an extra 27 veterans pay their bills around the holidays.

Commission employees say the $5,000 donation will allow them to help even more veterans this year.

They work with local veterans organizations, including a monthly Veteran Food Pantry with the VFW and members of those organizations make up the commission members. They have most of the organizations represented, but they are looking for someone to fill a vacant position if you know a veterans organization member who might be interested.

The commission works out of the Brookens Administrative Center and has an office just to the left of the front desk down a little hallway there. They're in office 3D (map) to see veterans who need information or assistance. The commission used to meet in the Putman meeting room, but has recently moved across the way from their office in the 3F meeting room (again, just to the left of the front desk at Brookens).

The group's mission, meetings, and even the budget are very straightforward. One extra agenda item includes a salute to the flag at the end of the meeting.

In additional news brought up at the meeting, a Veterans Legal Clinic has been set up at U of I that is offering legal services to Veterans who might not otherwise be able to afford it, including for Discharge Upgrades (e.g. for those who should have received medical discharges, but were separated on other grounds). More on that program here. Contact information for the Veterans Legal Clinic include a phone number 217-244-9494 and e-mail clinic@law.illinois.edu.