Money for education, health care and job training are services that most veterans have access to. But figuring out online who to talk to and where to go can be overwhelming. Picking up the phone can mean waiting and waiting on hold.
Veterans in the Puget Sound region are invited to attend a summit this Saturday at Pacific Lutheran University that will help them walk through the sometimes complicated web of programs that are available to them.
The event will connect vets directly with people who can answer questions. Michael Farnum, the event’s organizer, says there will even be counselors on hand to help vets suffering from PTSD or who want to report a sexual assault.
“We have literally thousands of veterans who may have PTSD or a traumatic brain injury, or who have been victims of military sexual trauma who have not come forward, and so they are not able to receive any assistance,” says Farnum.
If just one veteran gets help this weekend, Farnum says the effort of putting on the event will have been worth it.
A report from Harvard’s Kennedy School, says paying for veterans’ medical and disability bills since the 9/11 attacks tops out at more than $$130 billion dollars nationally, and is expected to grow.
According to U.S. Census data, there are more than 60o,000 veterans living in Washington state.
