Building Bridges

By Tyler Francke, Veterans News Magazine

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the many other organizations in the state seeking to help veterans and connect them with needed benefits and services, had a problem.

Too many veterans are not accessing their earned state and federal benefits, particularly among aging veterans (which accounts for half the state’s veteran populations), for whom the needs are often even more critical.

Oregon is already well-positioned to serve veterans, whatever their needs and walk of life, with trained and experienced veteran service officers working in every county in the state.

These VSOs, as they’re commonly known, provide free benefit counseling and claims assistance to any Oregon veteran in the state.

What was still needed was outreach, a bridge between the veterans in need and the VSOs who can help them.

Enter Mark Newell, coordinator of the new Oregon Veteran Volunteer Program, which is currently being piloted in Clackamas, Deschutes and Polk counties, with a statewide launch anticipated for later this year.

The idea was simple: Train volunteers to be that bridge between veteran and VSO. With the direction given to target the aging veteran population first, Newell decided that he and his volunteers would partner with long-term care facilities to identify and meet with veterans who are not accessing their benefits.

Newell said there could be many reasons for a lack of access.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about their earned benefits,” he said. “Part of it is that the VA’s eligibility requirements and rules change. A veteran may have gone to a VSO 15 years ago and come up empty, but the situation could be totally different now.”

Some veterans who have had their claims denied don’t realize that their case could be revaluated if their condition worsens, or if the federal VA’s eligibility criteria changes. Some, particularly from the Vietnam era, may have never considered applying for benefits because of mistrust in the system.

Newell said that, since the program launched in the pilot counties a couple months ago, it has already attracted and begun training 20 volunteers.

There has been contact from many more people interested in volunteering, but Newell has taken the approach of building the new program slowly and carefully.

“They just keep coming,” he said of prospective volunteers. “It’s amazing.”

The Veteran Volunteer program is open to anyone 18 years or older. Anyone who enjoys working with veterans and the aging population is encouraged to apply.

For more information, please visit online at oregonvetvolunteer.com, or contact Veteran Volunteer Coordinator Mark Newell at 503-373-2057 or veteranvolunteer@odva.state.or.us.