Although there are many women veterans, not all of them are aware of the benefits they can receive. That’s why the Department of Veterans Affairs has established the Women Veterans Call Center to share these resources.
a ride with the DAV
Idaho Veterans League helps the community
other available benefits
The mission of the North Idaho Chapter of the Idaho Veterans Assis tance League is to provide assistance to and support for the veterans residing at the new North Ida ho State Veterans Home in Post Falls; and to as sist the Idaho Division of Veterans Services in car rying out its mission of serving Idaho’s veterans, who have earned special recognition through their service and sacrifices in protecting our country’s freedoms and individual rights, by providing qual ity long-term care.
Each of the regional chapters of the Idaho Vet erans Assistance League exists to provide and fur nish services specifical ly designed to meet the physical, social, educa
tional, financial, religious, civic, cultural, recreation al, and psychological needs of the veterans who occupy Idaho’s four Vet erans Homes.
IVAL also seeks to pro vide the resident veterans of the Idaho State Veter ans Homes with security, happiness, dignity, inde
pendence, and usefulness, all of which contribute to a longer and more fulfill ing life.
When complete, the facility will have 64 beds subdivided into four household wings, each supporting 16 private res ident rooms with private bathrooms.
Each household will have its own den, sitting lounge, and living area.
There are also two ded icated dining areas and kitchens that are shared by two households along with multiple outdoor pa tio areas.
Each household will also have direct access
to the main communi ty center, which will in clude a chapel, barber/ beauty shop, bistro, activ ities center, multipurpose room, sports club, and therapy room/gym.
The home will include a central food prepara tion area, laundry facility, maintenance, supply, and administrative offices. The home will also have a separate rear entrance for the Office of Veterans
Advocacy. You’ll find two state veterans service of ficers and an office assis tant.
Pre-enrollment for the home started in Septem ber.
For more information at www.idahoveterans league.com/. At the Con tact page you can find info about Admisssions Coor dinator Cody Scaner at cody.schaner@veterans. idaho.gov or (208) 7801616.
Upon completion of the Veterans Home the North Idaho Veterans Assistance League will be based in the new Veterans Home at 590 S. Pleasant View Road, Post Falls. Our mailing ad dress is PO Box 187, Post Falls, ID 83877. The home is scheduled to be dedicat ed on Veterans Day.
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information about resources for veterans, please contact info@ veteranshelpnet.com or visit www.VeteransHelpNet.com.
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Editor’s note: This is the third and final part of a series showing how Bill Mulcrevy and other fam ily members, friends, and fellow veterans put together a world wide search for the corpsman who saved his life during the Vietnam war. To read parts 1 and 2, visit Blogs.va.gov/ Vantage/101661/
Bill Mulcrevy’s search had come to an end. He found Grego ry Williams, the Navy Corpsman who had saved his and so many other Marines’ lives in Vietnam.
Gregory Williams died in Illi nois in November 2017. He was 73.
Many of the questions about Williams’ life after the Navy and after Vietnam had gone unanswered. The search had concluded with positive identi fication of a photo and a grave market at Lincoln National Cer emony.
But the story didn’t have to end there.
Through the assistance of Kim
Craft at Together We Served (www.togetherweserved.com/)
Mulcrevy was eventually put in touch with Gregory’s wife, Dorothy. Mulcrevy learned that Gregory had transferred to a
different unit after his tour of Vietnam, and ultimately left the Navy around 1971. Gregory met Dorothy and married sometime after that.
In November 2019, two years
after Gregory’s passing, Togeth er We Served arranged for Bill Mulcrevy to visit Gregory Wil liams’ grave at Lincoln National Cemetery.
To his surprise, and in an ef
fort orchestrated by Kim and Charlie Craft at Together We Served, with assistance from the director of Lincoln National Cemetery, there was a memorial service in honor of Gregory Wil liams – with Dorothy in atten dance.
The pandemic struck right before we had planned to finish this story in March 2020.
Leading up this National Viet nam War Veterans Day (March 29), we remember the bravery and service of heroes like Navy Corpsman Gregory Williams, and the people whose lives they’ve touched while in service to this great Nation.
We thank Bill Mulcrevy and Jim Johnson for their coura geous service, and for sharing these incredible stories to honor their friend.
We thank Together We Served and all the dedicated partners who came together to make this story happen, to bring peace to a few buddies separated by time and distance and chance, but more than that, for what they do each day for veterans around the country.
Jason Davis is the managing editor for VAntage Point and an Army veteran.
Like many veterans, the war fol lowed Brandon home. He used alcohol to cope.
“I had a really hard time with the transition from military to civilian life,” Brandon, a Marine Corps vet eran, ex plained.
Encour aged by loved ones, he sought care at the Minneapolis VA. By using his VA benefits to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and to get an education, Bran don built a new life and career.
“Anything that you might have going on, that’s what the VA’s for. And there are plenty of people there to help you,” he shared.
More than a quarter of all veterans use VA health care; however, many are not aware of all the benefits VA health care includes. All enrolled veterans who meet criteria have access to the following:
• Pre ventive, primary and spe cialty care
• Pre scriptions
Every
• Vision and dental care
• Mental health care
• Home health care
• Geriatrics and extended care
• Medical equipment and prosthet ics
The Department of Veterans Affairs website has resources on every topic relevant to veterans.
The VA Welcome Guide covers all types of benefits and services available for veterans, new recruits, active service members and their families.
Based in Post Falls, Disabled American Veterans Chapter 9 Fort Sherman shares links and information to both local and national help organizations for veterans.
Explore VA benefits and discover which ones you and your family may be eligible to receive.
Spokane County Regional Veteran Service
1117 N. Evergreen Rd., Spokane Valley, WA (509) 477-3690
Apply for emergency services, or have any benefits or service questions answered by 5 Veteran Service Officers (VSO) and staff.
North Idaho Veteran Services and Benefits Office
120 E. Railroad Ave., Post Falls, ID (208) 446-1092
Meet with a VSO or staff for help with VA benefits enrollment, claims or other veteran needs.
Goodwill Support Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)
130 E. Third Ave., Spokane, WA (509) 828-2449
SSVF helps homeless veterans and their families find housing and connects veterans with other support organizations. Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)
504 E. Second Ave., Spokane, WA (509) 435-2019
Provides healthcare and outreach for housing, job opportunities and counseling.
Spokane County Regional Veteran Service (509) 477-3690
North Idaho Veteran Services and Benefits Office 120 E. Railroad Ave., Post Falls, ID (208) 446-1092
Veteran Crisis Line 1 (800) 273-8255, press 1
North Idaho Crisis Center (208) 625-4884
Washington or Idaho 2-1-1 Dial “2-1-1” for health and human resources referrals.
As a veteran, you may be able to get assisted living, residential (live-in), or home health care through the VA.
Long-term care services for sick or disabled veterans include:
• 24/7 nursing and medical care
• Physical therapy
• Help with daily tasks (like bath ing, dressing, making meals and taking medicine)
• Comfort care and help with man aging pain
• Support for caregivers who may need skilled help or a break so they can work, travel, or run errands
You can get this care in many differ ent settings: some run by VA and oth ers run by state or community organi zations that we inspect and approve.
Care settings may include:
• Nursing homes
• Assisted-living centers
• Private homes where a caregiver supports a small group of individuals
• Adult day health centers
• Veterans’ own homes
You can learn more about the different types of health care online at www. va.gov or look at “How Can I Get Help?” on Page 5 for local resources.
While 44% of all vet erans use at least one VA benefit, several less er-known benefits could help veterans live better, healthier lives. Here are three lesser-known VA benefits veterans may be eligible to receive:
His local VA guided Har old, a Marine Corps veter an, through the process of obtaining a VA home loan.
Veterans may be able to lower their monthly mort gage payment by obtaining a lower-interest loan.
The VA provides veter inary benefits to veterans diagnosed as having visu al, hearing or substantial mobility impairments and whose care will be en hanced through a guide or service dog.
If you’re the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service mem ber or a veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be eligible for VA Depen dency and Indemnity Compensa tion (DIC).
DIC is a tax-free monthly finan
cial benefit.
Find out if you’re eligible and how to apply at www. va.gov/disability/dependencyindemnity-compensation/ or find contact info at “How Can I Get Help?” section on Page 5 of this publication.
“I had somebody ex plain to me exactly how everything worked,” said Harold. “It was very quick, very easy – painless.”
VA’s home loan program offers veterans different refinancing options:
• Cash-Out Refinance Loans – Veterans can take advantage of their home’s equity to take
• Cash out through re financing, or refinance a non-VA loan into a VA-guaranteed loan.
• Interest Rate Reduc tion Refinance Loans –
Veterans must enroll in VA health care to receive any type of medical service through VA. To learn how to do this and find out how to apply, visit VA.gov.
Once a veteran is en rolled, VA will perform a complete clinical evalua tion to determine how best to assist. Each service dog request is reviewed and evaluated on a case-bycase basis, and veterans approved for guide or ser vice dogs are then referred to accredited organiza tions to obtain their dog.
It is not uncommon for a veteran to struggle with translating military expe rience into civilian terms.
VA offers employment resources for this, and ev ery stage of the job search.
Veterans who qualify for VA career and employ ment services can:
• Search for jobs and find employers who want to hire Veterans
• Access apprentice ship/on-the-job training using the GI Bill.
• Get one-on-one ca reer counseling if they have a service-connected disability through the
• Vocational Rehabili tation and Employment (VR&E) program.
Visit VA.gov to learn more about all VA benefits. For local job resources, see “How Can I Get Help?” on Page 5.
Based on the PACT Act, the Veterans Administra tion has added two new Agent Orange presumptive conditions:
• High blood pressure (also called hypertension)
• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined sig nificance (MGUS)
If you think you’re eligible for VA health care and benefits, you’re encouraged to apply now.
You may qualify for special services if you served in the military
In Washington, WorkSource helps thousands of military veterans, including disabled veterans, find jobs each year.
As a veteran, you can get priority access to Work Source services. This includes priority referrals to jobs that are listed with WorkSource, as well as oth er employment services.
WorkSource services for veterans and spouses in clude:
• Job listings, job referrals and hiring events.
• Resume, application and interviewing assis tance.
• Use of computers, photocopiers and phones.
• Skill assessments and referrals to training and other resources.
On the WorkSource site, seeker.worksourcewa. com/ you also can identify yourself as a veteran to make it easier for vet-friendly employers to find you, and you can search for job openings where employ ers are giving veterans priority over other appli cants.
Most WorkSource centers have veteran employ ment specialists available whose sole job is to help military veterans with disabilities and other severe employment barriers. They'll assess your skills and interests and put together an employment plan right for you.
To learn more, visit a WorkSource center today. In Spokane, the center is at 130 S. Arthur, and it’s open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It can be reached at (509) 532-3120, by email at wsspokane@esd.wa.gov, or online at work sourcespokane.com (Relay service: 711)
Employers who want to hire a veteran can call (509) 598-9972, or for business services call (509) 532-3186 or email talentsolutions@esd.wa.gov
Five new locations have been added to the list of presumptive locations:
• Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thai land from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976
• Laos from Dec. 1, 1965, through Sept. 30, 1969
• Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969
• Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial
waters off of Guam or American Samoa from Jan. 9, 1962, through July 30, 1980
• Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at John ston Atoll from Jan. 1, 1972, through Sept. 30, 1977
If you served on active duty in any of these loca tions, the VA will now automatically assume (or “presume”) that you had exposure to Agent Orange.
Have more questions or need other help? See “How Can I Get Help?” in this publication.
VA benefits provide for a range of long-term services which include nursing home care, domiciliary care, adult day health care, geriatric eval uations and respite care.
Nursing home benefits may be provided if specific qualifications are met. Those are:
• A veteran must need such care and seeking nursing home care for a service-connected (SC) disability, OR is rated 60% SC and unemploy able, OR is rated 60% Service Con nected and permanently and totally disabled (Permanent and Total. P&T) OR for any condition if the veteran has a combined Service Connected
disability rating of 70% or more.
• The care will be provided in a VA nursing home or contract nurs ing home.
• Not service-connected and non-compensable 0% service con nected veterans can apply for long term care in the VA but could be sub ject to long term care co-payments. Veterans with a compensable ser vice-connected disability are exempt from long term care co-payments.
• Not service-connected veter ans applying for extended care or the nursing home care unit may be required to complete VA Form 1010EC to determine the family's cur
rent income and assets.
• Veterans may be discharged from a VA Nursing Home Care Unit without consent when VA nursing home care is no longer needed. For example, if the veteran's needs can be met at home or in a private nurs ing home close to the family.
• Veterans requiring nursing home care for a service-connected condition or a veteran rated 70% or more have mandatory eligibility for admission to extended care ser vices; and, those veterans are eligible to have indefinite care provided to them in the VA or in a VA contracted nursing home.
The Disabled American Vet erans (DAV} represents the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans be fore Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government.
The hard facts of history brought about DAV’s creation. But compassion and service have been the tools that made our organization what it is to day.
A great deal has changed since DAV was founded, but this much has remained the same: those who return from war must have men and women waiting for them at home who will stand with them as they work to take back their lives.
DAV is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of sup port for veterans of all genera tions and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year. Annually, the orga nization provides more than
600,000 rides to veterans at tending medical appointments and assists veterans with well over 200,000 benefit claims. In 2019, DAV helped veterans re ceive more than $21 billion in earned benefits. DAV’s services are offered at no cost to all gen erations of veterans, their fami lies and survivors.
DAV is also a leader in con necting veterans with mean ingful employment, hosting job fairs and providing resources to ensure they have the opportu nity to participate in the Amer ican Dream their sacrifices have made possible.
With nearly 1,300 chapters and more than 1 million mem bers across the country, DAV empowers our nation’s heroes and their families by helping to provide the resources they need and ensuring our nation keeps the promises made to them.
It extends the mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their fami lies live through a network of state-level Departments and lo cal Chapters.
In North Idaho Fort Sher
man DAV Chapter No. 9 and in Spokane Valley DAV Chapter No. 6 work with and assists dis abled veterans and their fam ilies. Each chapter also raises funds to provide a new van ev ery few years to the Spokane Mann-Grandstaff Veterans Medical Center which is used to provide free rides to medical appointments.
To learn more about the programs DAV Chapter 9 sup ports go to its website www. dav9.com/ which also has con tact information and a link to a Facebook page. To contact Spo kane Valley DAV Chapter No. 6 please call (509) 535-9100.
DAV operates a fleet of vehi cles around the country to pro vide free transportation to VA medical facilities for injured and ill veterans. DAV stepped in to help veterans get the care they need when the federal gov ernment terminated its program that helped many of them pay for transportation to and from medical facilities. The vans are driven by volunteers, and the rides coordinated by more than 174 Hospital Service Coordina
To make an appointment for a ride in Spokane or Libby, Montana, call at least a week in advance and leave a message at (509) 434-7019. Service to Coeur d’Alene is expected to begin in December. Volunteer van drivers are needed. If you are interested, call (509) 434-7508 to learn more.
tors around the country.
DAV Departments and Chap ters, along with our long-time partner Ford Motor Company, have purchased 3,678 vehicles at a cost of more than $84 mil lion, that have been donated to Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide since the program began in 1987 to ensure that injured or ill vet erans are able to get to their medical appointments.
To make an appointment for a ride in Spokane or Libby,
Montana, call at least one week in advance and leave a message at (509) 434-7019. Typically, your call will be returned the next working day. Volunteer drivers are needed. If you are interested in knowing more call (509) 4347508. Coeur d’Alene should have service by December. The DAV Transportation Network is staffed by volunteers: therefore, it is unable to cover every community. We hope we can help you.
The DAV van is available by appointment for transportation to the Spokane VA Medical Center. It currently offers rides in Spokane and Libby, Montana. Calls for a van appointment should be made at least one week in advance to (509) 434-7019.
Service to Coeur d’Alene is expected to begin in December. Volunteer van drivers are needed. If you are interested in helping, please call (509) 4347508 for more information.
Pick-up locations include:
• The Lewiston area and surrounding community
• The Libby area and surrounding community
• The Coeur d’Alene area and surrounding community
• The Sandpoint area and surrounding community
Do you know your vet eran status? Do you have a Veteran ID card? Should you receive any benefits from VA, like the GI Bill? Do you know what health care benefits you have earned? If you do not know the an swer to even one of these questions, the Department of Veterans Affairs has es tablished the Women Vet erans Call Center.
The WVCC staff is trained to provide wom en veterans, their families, and caregivers about VA services and resources. The call is free, and you can call as often as you like until you have the answers to your questions. The Call Center is available Mon day through Friday 8 a.m.10 p.m. ET, and on Satur days from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET.
Women veterans can now connect with the WVCC through text mes saging. Similar to the ex isting call line and online chat, women Veterans will be connected with WVCC representatives who can answer general questions about benefits, eligibility, and services specifical ly for women veterans. By offering more ways to reach WVCC representa tives, women veterans can choose the most convenient
way to get the information they need.
WVCC chat allows wom en veterans to go online and chat via real-time messag ing with a WVCC represen tative. Access the chat fea ture by clicking the "Click here to chat online with the Women Veterans Call Center" icon.
This new service enables women veterans to text and anonymously chat with a WVCC representative. To get started, text 1-855-8296636.
As both the chat func tion and text messaging are anonymous, please do not use personally identifiable information such as So cial Security numbers. The WVCC online chat and text messaging is available Mon day through Friday 8 a.m.10 p.m. ET, and on Satur days from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET.
All the representatives at the Women Veterans Call Center are women, and many are veterans themselves. In addition to linking women veterans to information, the Women Veterans Call Center makes direct referrals to Women Veteran Program Manag
ers (WVPM) located at ev ery VA medical center. The Women Veteran Program Manager helps the woman veteran coordinate services.
You will be connected to a trained VA woman staff member.
Call center staff will con duct a brief screening to as sess your needs.
Women veterans will be provided personalized in formation regarding health care services, VA benefits and services, and a package of information will be sent to their home.
You can call for yourself or for a women veteran you know. The call is free and confidential.
Contact information will be requested so staff may follow-up.
VA has found that wom en veterans underutilize VA care, largely due to a lack of knowledge about VA benefits and available services and their eligibil ity for them. In response, the Call Center contacts women veterans to let them know about the services they have earned. Since its launch, the WVCC has re ceived nearly 82,796 in bound calls and initiated 1,297,595 outbound calls, resulting in communica tion with 672,815 veterans through talking or leaving a message.
A trained WVCC staff member will identify them selves as working for the VA and ask if it is a good time to
talk.
She will then ask if you are aware of your eligibility for benefits.
Women veterans will be provided with information
regarding health care ser vices, VA benefits and ser vices available, and a pack age of information will be sent to their home.
Contact information will
be requested so staff may follow-up.
Looking for local info? See “How Can I Get Help?” on Page 5.
Support fellow Veterans and be a part of Operation Fly Together.
A portion of all merchandise proceeds go into a Veterans Fund. OperationFlyTogether.com
Steve, a recently retired veteran from the Idaho National Guard, didn’t think attending a job fair would change his life. But it did. He found a job and now he is a recruiter for the company that hired him.
To get there, Steve reached out to an Idaho Department of Labor’s disabled veteran outreach program workforce con sultants – or vet rep for short.
Other veterans like him are being referred to the company from the same vet rep who assisted Steve.
Dave, also a veteran, was looking for a career change in the medical in dustry and wondered if he could find education sup port. By working with the Kootenai County Veterans Council, Dave discovered he was eligible for educa tional benefits through the GI Bill. Dave was referred to the veteran representa tives at North Idaho Col lege who helped him map out a course to become a registered nurse.
These are just a few sto ries illustrating how vet erans can find support in northern Idaho, and across the state and the U.S. United States veterans face several unique chal lenges reintegrating into civilian life after service. Finding meaningful em ployment opportunities to support themselves’ and their families is a chal lenge. That’s where the Department of Labor’s veteran employment and training services come in.
Vet reps, such as those who worked with Steve and Dave, help local vet erans find meaningful and
sustainable employment opportunities. Vet reps interview and assess vet erans knowledge, skills and abilities to help guide their job search activities. If the veteran has signifi cant barriers to employ ment, the vet rep works to find employment op portunities to accommo date those disabilities. The vet rep may provide referrals to other veteran service providers, tapping into the broad network of veteran-specific organiza tions.
Through a network of referral agencies, veterans can receive assistance to overcome some of their barriers to become suc cessful in their post-mili tary careers.
There are a multitude of veteran organizations in northern Idaho offer ing support and services. The Kootenai County Vet
Council shares informa tion about its programs at a monthly meeting with other veteran-related or ganizations.
Some of these organi zations include the Ida ho and Kootenai County Veteran Service Officers, St. Vincent De Paul, New by-ginnings of North Ida ho, North Idaho College Veteran & Military Fam ily Services, North Idaho Veterans Stand Down, Hayden Veterans Com mission, North Idaho Vet erans Assistance League, Marine Corps League, Vet Center and most of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Le gion posts.
With an estimated 23,000 veterans in north ern Idaho alone, these ser vices are here to help vet erans in need.
Learn more about our services for veterans. Con
tact the Post Falls Depart ment of Labor office at (208) 457-8789 and ask to speak to a vet rep. The of
fice at 600 N. Thornton St. is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon day through Friday, except for observed holidays.
VA disability pay rates, which are ef fective beginning Dec. 1, 2022, current ly have an estimated year-over-year increase of 10.5%, based on the latest cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) pro jections. While not officially confirmed, this rate increase is one of the highest ‘raises’ that has been seen in a long time. Official and final COLA from the VA is typically announced in mid-October, with all final figures being finalized on Dec. 1.
Some veterans apply for VA disabil ity benefits, and receive a 0% disability rating for their service-connected condi tion. The VA calls this a non-compensa ble disability.
Although it may seem to not make sense, a 0% VA disability rating is dif ferent from ‘no rating.’ Receiving a non-compensable rating of 0% means that the VA does acknowledge the dis ability claim has a service connection, but that the symptoms do not impair the veteran enough to secure VA disability payments.
There are still many valuable benefits available to someone with a 0% rating.
• Free medical treatment and medi cations for your condition through VA health care.
• Higher priority for eligibility for health care services from the VA, in cluding access to medical specialists and mental health treatment.
• Reimbursement for certain travel costs related to your condition, such as mileage expenses when attending medi cal appointments.
• Access to life insurance through the VA.
• 10-point federal disabled veterans hiring preference when applying for a job with the government.
• Base access to commissaries and ex changes
• State-specific benefits available to service-connected disabled veterans.
Most importantly the veteran has re ceived an actual service-connected dis ability rating. It is possible to file for an
If you had “Boots on the ground” in Vietnam and you have Parkinson’s Dis ease** or prostate cancer,* both condi tions are presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange exposure, which means you are automatically eligible for VA Healthcare benefits and a monthly dis ability check.
For more information or help in filing a claim contact the Spokane County Re gional Veteran Services office at (509) 477-3690 or the North Idaho Veteran Services and Benefits office in Post Falls at (208) 446-1092 and staff can help you enroll in the VA medical system and get you to a Veteran Service Officer to help file your claim.
Does this sound like someone you know? Give them this information and help them get to one of the Veteran Ser vice Centers noted above.
(*Note: Parkinson’s and prostate can cer are only two of the 16 presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange. For more information call the centers or visit www.publichealth.va.gov/expo sures/agentorange/conditions/)
A variety of approved training pro grams are available for eligible veterans including:
• Graduate and undergraduate degrees
• Vocational or technical training
• On-the-job training
• Flight training
• Correspondence training
Licensing and national testing pro grams
Entrepreneurship training and tutori al assistance
All training must be approved for GI Bill benefits.
To learn more, contact your coun ty’s Veteran Service Officer, or in North Idaho contact the Department of Labor Veteran Representative Kenneth Scott at
(208) 457-8789. In Eastern Washington you can also contact WorkSource (509) 532-3101 or see “How Can I Get Help?” in this publication.
The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax incentive for businesses that hire candidates from certain target groups, including qualified veterans. Your company can reduce fed eral business taxes from $2,400 to $9,600 per eligible employee.
Apply online through a Secure Access Washington (SAW) account. All applica tions must be submitted within 28 days of the employee's start date. If you don’t have a SAW account, register through WorkSourceWA.com.
Need more information contact Work Source in Eastern Washington? Call (509) 532-3120 or write to 130 S. Arthur
St. Spokane, WA 99202. In North Idaho contact (208) 457-8789 or write to Idaho Dept of Labor, 600 N. Thornton St., Post Falls, ID 83854
If you have ringing in your ears (tinni tus) and/or hearing loss that developed due to military service, you may be eli gible for VA health care benefits and a monthly disability check.
Tinnitus is the most common veteran disability approved for compensation. Contact a Veterans Service officer for more information. This is a free service and you do not need to belong to a specif ic organization to receive help.
See “How Can I Get Help?” section in this publication for area resources.
“Increased Rating” if the medical condi tion worsens.
... Parkinson’s Disease and prostate cancer are presumed to have been caused by “Agent Orange” exposure (for Vietnam veterans)?
tually formed an action group and named it “Vet erans Help Net.”
By Don Walker VETERANS HELP NET
Let me tell you the sto ry.
It all started a the “Dad’s Day” Washington State University football game in 2017 and the “Dad of the Year” was being hon ored at halftime. It turned out he was active duty Air Force and was in uniform.
announcer said lots of great things the dad did to earn this honor, and ended by saying, “Besides all of those great things… this dad’s daughter is going to school on his GI Bill!”
I was shocked. That can’t be true! A kid can use their dad’s GI Education benefits?”
I looked around and there were a few of us with our jaws open.
Not believing this was possible, I immediately looked it up on my cell phone and sure enough: under certain circum stances the Post 9/11 GI Bill allows for a transfer of education benefits to kids or a spouse!
Why didn’t I know that?
I thought I was pretty in formed. What other bene fits were out there that me
and lots of other veterans and families did not know about?
This began my search for those little known, new, or quickly forgotten bene fits and services.
I started gathering a bunch of “Hey Veterans, Did You Know?” articles and facts.
And I and others have spent the best part of the last four years trying to get these messages out to our local veterans. I found a bunch more local veter ans and citizens that also wanted to help get these messages out and we even
This group is responsi ble for founding the Vet erans Chronicle, a month ly 12-16 page insert in The Spokesman-Review (what you are reading now), and the Veterans Press that is published monthly in the CDA/Post Falls Press in North Idaho.
The message is clear: help veterans and their families find “Help and Hope” by making them aware of the benefits, ser vices and help they earned with their time in the ser vice.
Since that 2017 foot ball game, Veterans Help
Net has been responsible for the publication of 46 monthly editions of the Veterans Chronicle in Eastern Washington and 40 monthly editions of the Veterans Press in CDA/ Post Falls.
We have published over 200 “Hey Veterans, Did you Know?” articles and hundreds of stories about veterans, veteran organiza tions, and individuals that contributed to hundreds of veterans and their families “finding help and hope.”
So now you know how all this started… Veterans Day 2022 will be the fourth anniversa ry of Veterans Help Net and we hope to continue
finding more “Did You Knows?” to help veter ans and their families find “Help and Hope.”
We will continue to write stories of organiza tions and individuals who are also doing their part.
We are always looking for more stories and arti cles. Send us your story, tell us about your organi zation, or about someone making a difference in our veteran world.
Maybe your story will open someone’s mind and lead them to finding “Help and Hope!”
Thank you for all you help and support over the last four years!
Learn more about Veterans Help Net by contacting us online at Veteranshelpnet. com, by email at info@ veteranshelpnet.com, on Facebook at Veterans Help Net, or by calling (509) 998-6484.
Mike Coffey
Laura McGuigan
Marcy Bennett
