So far this year the Butler County office has helped 1,338 vets navigate VA red tape, apply for benefits and emergency financial help in the first four months of the year. In the first three months of the year the vet board provided 2,563 trips to medical appointments. Bier said 181 vets asked for financial help and 160 were approved for $194,281.
The state legislature carves out a small percentage of every county's general fund for veterans assistance — and in Butler County that equates to about $3.4 million. The veterans board historically has spent about $2 million or less doling out emergency cash, helping veterans navigate the Veterans Administration system, arranging and paying for transportation to medical appointments and finding local services for everything from legal issues to marriage counseling.
The number of people seeking services has been lower than average all year. The numbers usually hover around 400 but this year they have been in the mid 300s. Evecutive Director Caroline Bier is hoping the advertisments that began airing on talk radio 55KRC a couple weeks ago and four other stations this week, will boost the recognition and numbers.
“My hope with the radio ads is that veterans hear the ads or friends and family members of the veteran hear the ads and that encourages them to come into our office for services,” she said. “Our primary goal is to get veterans in the door and inform them on the benefits that are offered by the VA, state of Ohio and Butler County.”
The vet board agreed to spend $51,975 on radio advertising last month.
Rod Eversole, executive director of the Warren County veterans board, said from January through May 26 his board has doled out $189,577 in emergency aide to 304 vets compared to $196,090 and 326 people over the same time period last year. He said it is difficult to calculate the number of people service officers have helped with other things but they have provided 1,820 medical appointment rides this year compared to 1,077 last year.
Warren County has been advertising on 700 WLW for two years and in that time transports for medical appointments have skyrocketed 250 percent from 1,225 in 2012 to 4,282 last year. He hopes the same result can happen across the region.
“The way they administer services may vary slightly from county to county, but it’s the same message, we’re here, we have emergency financial assistance, we have accredited service officers to help veterans access their benefits and we offer free transportation to and from their medical appointments. That’s for veterans and spouses of veterans…,” he said. “Hopefully eventually we can get Hamilton and Clermont on board and we can make those costs even lower,” he said.
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