ALBANY, Ore. — Linn County will continue a highly successful medical transportation program for veterans even after a grant from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs runs out next spring, Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker agreed Tuesday morning.
“After all, these veterans gave us all of the freedoms we had today,” Nyquist said.
Veterans Services Officer Dee Baley-Hyder told the commissioners the grant is for $11,000 and in the first two quarters of this year, her department has expended more than $5,300. She said there is about $6,331 left, which she hopes will last until June 2023.
But she admitted, it’s likely the funding will not stretch out that far, since the program is growing in popularity.
Nyquist moved that the county use up to $20,000 in contingency funds to backfill the program. Sprenger and Tucker concurred.
The program provides transportation anywhere in the state for local veterans who can no longer drive themselves to medical appointments.
Baley-Hyder said Veterans Services assists more than 9,000 of Linn County’s estimated 11,047 veterans. In the past year, Veterans Services has helped local veterans get more than $2.5 million in claims.
Claims include service connection compensation, non-service connected pension aid, survivor pension and more.
Baley-Hyder said she and her staff have been participating in area events such as the Lebanon Strawberry Festival parade and they will be at the Linn County Fair July 14-16.
Linn County Veterans Services can be contacted by calling 541-967-3882.
In other business, the commissioners