Sherburne County Veterans Service Office staff saw growth this summer in the numbers of men and women who served the United States from World War II through current conflicts, and who are now turning to the county office for guidance on obtaining any benefits — medical or financial — that may be rightfully theirs.
The staff welcomed 195 veterans for first-time visits to the Sherburne County Government Center office in Elk River from June through August this year, which was up nearly 55 percent from the 126 veterans who made first visits to the office during those months in 2011.
You may remember a post I wrote earlier about Elk River being a Beyond the Yellow Ribbon community. That is important to the vets and the community. And, it is a badge of honor for Elk River!
The regular office hours for the Service Office are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.
The Service Office told the Sherburne County Board during a meeting September 18, 2012, that they have plans to open a new satellite office October 3 in the county’s Public Safety Building at 27650 W. Fifth St., Zimmerman. The plan is to keep regular hours there 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Wednesday to meet with veterans for whom that office would be more convenient.
The county operates a similar satellite office at the Sherburne History Center in Becker, where hours are 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays.
They cannot promise any benefits, but will work with any veterans to determine their eligibility. It depends when they went in, how long they served, and what type of discharge they received when they got out, the Service Office says. Many vets don’t realize their eligibility for certain benefits and there could be no time limit.
Appointments are advised at any of the three county locations. Veterans may call the Elk River office at 763-765-3100 for more information.
Comments(6)