Our Chicago: Helping Cook County Veterans Access the Benefits They’ve Earned

CHICAGO (WLS)– Wednesday is Veterans Day, when the country honors the guys and females who have actually served in the U.S. armed force. One significant method to acknowledge their service is to assist guarantee they get the advantages and assistance they have actually made.

The Veterans Assistance Commission of Cook County is one company working to link veterans with those resources.

“Many veterans require aid with home loan payments or support keeping their energies from being shut down,” stated Elizabeth Soto, superintendent of the Veterans Assistance Commission.

Soto stated the commission’s work surpasses emergency situation financial assistance.

“We likewise supply long-lasting help for service-connected impairments. Our function is to link veterans with instant and continuous services that promote stability,” Soto stated.

Grant Jacobson, a veteran and deputy superintendent of the VACCC, stated the shift from military service to civilian life can be tough.

“When you leave the military, you’re not simply leaving a profession– you’re leaving a whole environment developed to support your survival,” he stated. “You understand your healthcare, food and real estate are looked after. Whether you leave after 4 years or 24, there are elements of civilian life that can be hard to comprehend when you return.”

Jacobson stated numerous veterans likewise have a hard time to browse programs composed in complex legal language. “You attempt to figure it out by yourself, get home and can’t inform which method is up, so you ultimately quit,” he stated.

Assisting veterans prevent that result is a main part of the commission’s objective.

Soto kept in mind that eligibility extends beyond veterans. “Spouses and reliant kids can access both monetary support and long-lasting services through our veterans service officers,” she stated.

Assistance is readily available, some veterans discover it tough to take the very first action.

“Asking for aid is among the greatest difficulties we see amongst aging veterans, especially those from the Vietnam age, since a number of these services were not offered when they returned home,” Jacobson stated.

A possibility conference with Soto and Jacobson at a Memorial Day parade 2 years ago exposed that McDonough had actually never ever made an application for VA-eligible services.

“We had the ability to link him with those resources, and after 56 years he was lastly able to get service-connected advantages,” Jacobson stated.

McDonough stated the help alleviated both his medical and monetary concerns.

For more details about the VACCC:

Call 312-433-6010 or go to vaccookcounty.org/.