Grants Awarded To Improve Veterans’ Services

Veterans in nine counties will find it easier to file a federal benefits claim with an accredited county veterans service officer, thanks to grants awarded by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

The County Incentive Grant program was created last year with $250,000 to fund new county departments of veterans affairs, hire additional accredited county veteran counselors or upgrade or invest in new technology.

To date, $100,000 in one-time grant funding has been distributed to seven county veterans service offices, covering nine counties.

Rob Price, MVAA acting director for targeted outreach, says there are currently six Michigan counties remaining without a local department of veterans affairs, down from 10 in 2013.