Back to Online Newspapers

Pierce County Veteran's Advisory Council fights for vets

Veterans helping veterans

The transition from the military to civilian life isn’t always easy to navigate, but the PCVAC is here to help. Photo credit: Wikipedia.com

Email Article Print Article Share on Facebook Share on Reddit Share on StumbleUpon

The transition from military life to civilian life is never easy, especially for combat veterans. Yet most of them manage to navigate the twists and turns with surprising dexterity. However, too many vets can end up sidelined by the inevitable bumps in the often rocky road from being a soldier to returning to civilian life. The Pierce County Veteran's Advisory Council works with the Pierce County Veteran's Bureau to help these veterans not only find the road again, but complete the journey successfully.

According to chairman Dennis Jones, the Pierce County Veteran's Advisory Council is an organization of "veterans helping veterans" through overseeing Pierce County's Indigent Veteran's fund, which fights a "constant battle" to make certain all veterans have a safe place to stay, and working with the Pierce County Veteran's Bureau to provide - according to the county's website - "emergency assistance with food, rent and utilities to qualified indigent (veterans and) family members. Limited assistance with medical and other miscellaneous services is also available on an emergency-need basis ... It is the mission of the Pierce County Veteran's Bureau to honor all veterans by providing the highest quality programs possible." (www.co.pierce.wa.us)

One of the more specialized programs the county offers through the Veteran's Bureau and the Advocacy Council is the Incarcerated Veteran's Reintegration Program which "is designed to assist veterans involved in the justice system." The goal of the program "is to help those qualified veterans get connected with services they may not already be aware of and work with the jail and court systems to ensure the best possible outcome from an already bad situation." This is achieved through available services to assist with housing, food, utilities, addiction recovery, poverty, homelessness, issues associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, "advocacy prior to release," and case management. The Incarcerated Veteran's Reintegration Program "succeeds by identifying specific veteran needs and challenges that precipitate incarceration" and addressing those needs and challenges.

To be eligible for any of the programs the Pierce County Veteran's Bureau offers, veterans in need must have been honorably discharged from any branch of the United States military, including the Reserves and the National Guard.  The Pierce County Veteran's Bureau meets at 7 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month in the American Legion Post 138 building located at the corner of Bridgeport and Cirque in University Place. All veterans are welcome to attend to learn more about the Pierce County Veteran's Bureau and the Pierce County Veteran's Advocacy Council and the ways they can assist veterans in transition.

Pierce County veterans have fought for the citizens of Pierce County; the Pierce County Veteran's Bureau and the Pierce County Veteran's Advocacy Council are fighting for veterans.

comments powered by Disqus