Meal Served As Gesture Of Appreciation To Veterans

The weather was nice and the hot dogs were grilled to perfection for the second annual “Dog Days of Summer” cookout for area veterans and their families Thursday evening.

The get-together took place outside the Mills County Veterans Affairs Office at  602 S. Locust St. in Glenwood. The free event was hosted by the Mills County Veterans Affairs Commission and sponsored by Rachel Pierce of Benchmark Mortgage and Emily Swinford of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate.

Mills County Veterans Affairs Director Elizabeth Richardson said the event is not only a gesture of appreciation for the sacrifices local veterans and their families have made for our nation, but also an opportunity to promote the services the Mills County Veterans Affairs Office can provide.

“We just want people to stop. They don’t know we’re here and they don’t know what we do. So, it’s a visibility thing,” Richardson said. “We do so many good things. Right now, Mills County brings in over $8 million in benefits a year through our veterans’ benefits.”

Richardson said helping veterans receive benefits for  hearing loss and other health issues, both physical and mental, are among the services the office provides.

“What we do, we file a claim to see if they’re eligible to receive compensation. The VA (Veterans Administration) will then deter-mine if they are and then give them a rating – from 10 to 100 percent - so they can get paid monetarily. At that point, they’re able to get free benefits based on those rated disabilities at the VA.”

The Mills County Veterans Affairs Office has been located at its current location for five years and has handled a steady increase in caseload over that time period. Richardson has been the director for two years.

The Opinion-Tribune

116 S Walnut St Glenwood, IA 51534-1665
P.O. Box 377, Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-527-3191
Phone: 712-623-2566
Fax: 712-527-3193

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