Grant County vets lose advocate

MOSES LAKE - Grant County veterans who need a place to sleep, help buying food and groceries or filling out benefit paperwork have one less way to receive help.

The Grant County Veterans Coalition closed its doors permanently earlier this month.

Grant County commissioners met with Jim Pace, of the Vietnam Veterans of America, last week to possibly take over the office at 1008 West Ivy St., and handle the vouchers and other veteran's benefits issues.

Until then, a sign on the front door directs vets to call The American Legion for vouchers. Commander Richard Radder said vets could come to the American Legion from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays if they need food or hotel vouchers, but the post cannot help directly with paperwork related to benefits. He said that he could direct vets to someone who could help.

Longtime veteran advocate and Grant County Veterans Coalition President Pete Harris told county commissioners in a June 26 letter that he was moving out of the area and stopping his volunteer position. Bob Heppner, who has also been volunteering at the coalition for at least 10 years, is also leaving. The two men helped hundreds of Grant County veterans receive either vouchers for a hotel room or meal or fill out medical or burial benefit paperwork.

"They fought really hard for the vets of this area," Grant County Veterans Advisory Board member Karen Hand said. Hand works at the county's accounting office and helps with the voucher process. According to the county's website, veterans, spouses or dependents are eligible for assistance through a fund paid by county property owners. Grant County Commissioner Richard Stevens said that fund takes in about $10,000 more each year that it pays out.

Hand said Harris and Heppner would visit hospices, hospitals, homes and even a prison to let veterans know about the benefits available to them.

She said they had an 80 to 90 percent success rate getting medical benefits approved for local vets.

Pace said he is looking to hire a disabled vet to work part-time at the Moses Lake office, to help area vets with benefits or vouchers. He said the Washington Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America received a $20,000 grant from the state to run the office. He said he figures it will cost about $1,000 per month to pay for electricity, office and cleaning supplies and landscaping, based on the numbers that Harris gave him. He said the remaining $8,000 would be provided as a stipend to anyone who works at the office. Grant County would continue to donate the office space to the group at no cost.