Seek help if you need it

LENOIR CITY, Tenn. (WATE) — Several groups worked together to hold a Multi-County Veterans Resource Fair in Lenoir City on Tuesday.

The event provided medical evaluations, legal services, housing assistance and more for those who have served. Bill Christian attended the event to see what services were offered and how the community is supporting veterans.

“I think almost every veteran that’s not affiliated with a organization like the VA or the VFW, they’re struggling. They don’t know where to go to. They don’t know how to help themselves,” he said.

Serving 20 years in the U.S. Navy before retiring in 2000, Christian knows what it’s like to readjust to civilian life.

“It’s really hard for a veteran because for 20 years we’ve only done one thing, and the world is exploding so much it’s hard to fit back in society,” he said.

Veterans oftentimes go through that struggle alone, but the event aims to change that. John Lacko is a member of the Tellico Village VFW and coordinated the event.

“What we’ve been doing is trying to find an avenue for veterans to come and have a one stop shop, so to speak, to get services,” he said. “A lot of the veterans that we try to work with are either unhoused or they don’t have transportation.”

A handful of the veterans that attended the event Tuesday are currently unhoused, and were able to be connected with housing resources. A number of local employers also participated, providing job opportunities.

“Last year, we had over 50 veterans come into this, eight veterans fill out applications, two get hired on the spot and several got hired afterwards,” Lacko said.

For veterans who don’t know where to start— call your county’s veterans service officer. They can connect you with resources like the ones at the event. Find the officer for your area here.

“Seek help. Go to a VFW. Stop and ask somebody. Seek help if you need it, even if you don’t need it, maybe you can help somebody else,” Christian said.

That’s exactly why Lacko works to put on this event.

“I’m a Vietnam veteran,” Lacko said. “Most people know by now that Vietnam was a disgrace to our country. When veterans came back, they didn’t get the welcome homes that they should have. Simply, I just want to make sure that the veterans today get what’s deserving.”

Veterans who are homeless are encouraged to contact the VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance. If Veterans do not have access to a phone or the internet, they should visit their closest VA medical center.