VA Live in our Community - Wilmington
Jahari Crawford traveled from Houston, Texas, to register as the first Veteran for the VA Live in our Community event
Nearly 560 Veterans converged on the SFC Edward Kramer National Guard Readiness Center in Wilmington, North Carolina for the latest iteration of Veterans Benefits Live, the “VA Live in our Community” event. Veterans from Texas, Michigan, and Maryland were even joined by a Veteran who traveled from Cuba for the event, where they could sign up for benefits and receive services and information. More than 285 Veterans attended with PACT Act-related concerns.
Along with representatives from the Winston-Salem VA Regional Office, staff from the Fayetteville VA Coastal Health Care System administered registration, with 67 new enrollments, ID Card issuance, facility transfers and means tests. They also accomplished 55 toxic exposure screenings, offered blood pressure readings and offered mental health support and promoted Whole Health.
VBA staff completed 177 disability compensation claims, 109 supplemental claims, as well as dependency, pension, and survivor benefit claims. State and County Veterans Service Officers (VSOs), American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars VSOs assisted attendees with filing new claims. Over 40 Veterans were reaching out to VA for the first time. Team members also assisted 21 homeless Veterans and assisted 39 with military sexual trauma (MST) related claims.
Attending Veterans also sat through information sessions on VA Benefits and the PACT Act, Survivor Benefits, VA.gov and the VA Mobile App web services, Veterans Readiness and Employment Program and VA Careers, and Camp Lejeune Water claims for Veterans and Dependents.
