Ilona Varga
Wayne County will add a new outreach official to serve veterans in Downriver and western Wayne communities through the newly adopted county budget.
“This is something that has been sought for a long time,” Commissioner Ilona Varga (D-Lincoln Park) said. “We have a number of wonderful programs and services for our veterans but, too often, those living outside the immediate Detroit area might not have been aware of them.”
The veterans outreach position is financed through the county’s $1.63 billion budget for 2019-20, which goes into effect Oct. 1. The new outreach official is expected to be hired sometime after that to help veterans gain access to county programs that benefit them.
Varga is chairwoman of the commission’s Ways & Means Committee, which worked with the county executive’s office to prepare the budget.
Wayne County provides job referrals, and Veterans Administration compensation and disability application services to eligible veterans and their families, including up to $1,000 in burial benefits.
The county also provides temporary financial aid to indigent, honorably discharged wartime veterans, their spouses and dependent children through its Veteran Financial Hardship Services program.
More information on veteran’s programs is available on the Health, Veterans & Community Wellness page of the county website, waynecounty.com.
Information can also be obtained by calling 313-554-5045.
Source: Wayne County Commission