Video describes how jointly funded office in Aurora is assisting veterans
The newly created Veterans Service Office (VSO) in Aurora has spent the past several months providing benefits education and services, an extension of existing VSOs that was established to address the large veteran population in and around Aurora. Adams and Arapahoe counties are jointly funding the office, and the City of Aurora is providing in-kind materials.
With nearly 80,000 veterans living in the two counties, the new office—located at Arapahoe County’s Altura Plaza facility, 15400 E. 14th Place in Aurora—provides a more convenient option for veterans in that area. Prior to this opening, Arapahoe County veterans had to visit the Littleton VSO. “This new office adds an additional staff member to manage a growing caseload, but most importantly, it is a new opportunity to serve our veterans by meeting them where they are,” said Commissioner Bill Holen, District 5, a disabled U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam. “There’s a large population of veterans in Aurora and in neighboring Adams County to the north. This office reduces barriers such as means of transportation and time constraints by offering a convenient second location.”
Veterans Service Offices are county-level departments in each state that assist veterans and their families by answering questions, advising, and educating individuals and groups on what benefits are available from federal, state, county, and local resources. These offices also assist eligible persons with filing the necessary claims. The VSO’s accredited officers—who typically are veterans themselves—conduct the needs assessments, eligibility determinations and legal advocacy that are necessary to prepare and present claims and applications to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Whenever a veteran needs assistance that may be outside the office’s scope, the VSO team connects these folks with much-needed resources and referrals from local agencies and community partners.
The new position helps support the goals of the Align Arapahoe performance management program, which includes enhancing the quality of life for Arapahoe County veterans by helping them achieve successful claims or connecting them with Arapahoe County’s Community Resources department. “Colorado and the Arapahoe-Adams area are home to many veterans who can benefit from the services the two counties and the City of Aurora provide every day,” said Commissioner Jeff Baker, District 3, a retired U.S. Army Warrant Officer. “By creating a single point of contact, we are streamlining and focusing these operations to reach even more veterans than we already do.”
Now that the new VSO has been up and running for a few months, the County has created a video that explains what the office does and how beneficial it is to our veteran population. To view the video and make an appointment, please visit our VSO webpage.