For County VA offices, assisting veterans is a year-round endeavor
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS One of the Centre County VA’s annual outreach programs is their table at the Grange Fair, something the VA has been attending for approximately ten years. Here, Brian Querry is pictured manning the table.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Clinton County Veterans Affairs Director Jeff Croak, left, and Service Officer Harry Williams, right, are pictured inside the VA’s office in the Garden Building near the intersection of Jay and Main streets.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS The door to the Clinton County Veterans Affairs office is pictured.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS One of the Centre County VA’s annual outreach programs is their table at the Grange Fair, something the VA has been attending for approximately ten years. Here, Brian Querry is pictured manning the table.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS Clinton County Veterans Affairs Director Jeff Croak, left, and Service Officer Harry Williams, right, are pictured inside the VA’s office in the Garden Building near the intersection of Jay and Main streets.
BRAD REIDER/FOR THE EXPRESS The door to the Clinton County Veterans Affairs office is pictured.
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LOCK HAVEN -- Jeff Croak served in the Marine Corps for eleven years and was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, eventually retiring at the rank of Sergeant (E5). Now years later,
Croak continues to serve, not in uniform, but as the Director of Clinton County Veterans Affairs.
Clinton County, along with all other counties in the commonwealth, operates their own, county-funded Veterans Affairs (VA) office to assist local veterans with a variety of concerns, most often in relation to applying for benefits.
"We're here to help a veteran with whatever they need," says Croak, adding that helping veterans apply for healthcare is a common service his office provides.
"We're their liaison when it comes to enrolling into VA healthcare," says Croak.
Croak says that his office also assists with appealing healthcare claims that are sometimes denied at the federal level, noting that those appeals are successful much of the time.
In Centre County, Veterans Affairs Director Brian Querry echoed Croak's assertion that many of the VA's services are related to healthcare enrollment.
Querry, a retired Navy Commander (O5), says that many veterans and surviving spouses are unaware of what benefits they may be entitled to.
"If a veteran doesn't know where to start, we should be their first call," says Querry, adding that if his office does not immediately know the answer to a specific inquiry, "we'll know who to call."
Querry also noted that the VA can assist veterans with applying for various grant programs to help offset expenses such as housing or utility costs, noting that many veterans and surviving spouses live on fixed incomes.
Mark Higgins is the current Chair of the Centre County Board of Commissioners.
Higgins cited the crucial role that the Centre County VA plays in helping those who have honorably served and their families.
"Our brave folks who have served should receive relief, respect, and recognition for their service to our country, and the work of the Centre County Veterans Affairs office reflects our ongoing commitment to support our veterans," says Higgins.
County VA staff that work directly with veterans are trained and certified as Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. The certification process trains the VSOs to navigate various federal and state benefits systems in order for them to become strong advocates for the veteran applying for benefits.
In Clinton County, Croak has one additional VSO on his staff, while in Centre County, Querry has two additional VSOs. In addition to their core duties of assisting with benefits, both the Clinton and Centre County VA offices engage in various outreach programs throughout the year to bring awareness to the services available.
Croak says that his office routinely conducts "meet and greets" with the staff at several local correctional facilities to advertise the VA's services, as many of the correction officers are veterans.
Croak also says that his office sets up a table at the annual Kettle Creek Music Festival near Cross Fork to distribute brochures and meet with residents and veterans. One of the Centre County VA's annual outreach programs is their table at the Grange Fair, something the VA has been attending for approximately ten years.
Both offices assist with the MilitaryShare food assistance program in their respective counties and assist with monthly distributions to service members, veterans, and their families.
Both Croak and Querry noted that if needed, a VSO can meet with a veteran or surviving spouse at their place of residence should mobility or transportation be an issue, with both indicating that their staff makes "house calls."
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Croak and Querry emphasized that if a veteran or surviving spouse is not sure of what benefits they might be entitled to, it's important for them to contact their county VA for assistance. There are no fees regarding the VA services provided by their staff.
"Come in or call. We'll never turn anyone away," says Croak.
The Clinton County VA office is located at 217 N Jay Street in Lock Haven and can be reached at 570-893-4339.
The Centre County VA office is located at 502 E Howard Street in Bellefonte and can be reached at 814-355-6812.
Both offices operate their own Facebook page and can also be found on their respective county's government websites, clintoncountypa.gov or centrecountypa.gov.