By Paul Rohs, Guest Columnist
Some 14 years ago, local church communities and veterans organizations strove to find a way to bring resources together to better serve area veterans, as they admittedly have some very special needs when compared to other citizen groups.
Out of this effort was born the Tri-State Chaplain Corps Veterans Mission Council. This is an organization of area pastors and concerned citizens in western North Carolina, northeast Georgia and eastern Tennessee and is associated with American Legion Post 532 in Hayesville.
The council exists to help active duty military and reserves, veterans and their families as they navigate those physical, emotional and spiritual issues unique to those serving or who have served our nation in the military. Working together with other organizations to ensure services are not duplicated, but to connect our veterans with any and all appropriate contacts. We provide a hand up, not a hand out.
Although rarely seen or publicized, somewhere more than 250 individuals and families have been helped in life changing ways since the council was born. The specifics are always specifically suited to the needs of the individual and/or family and their situation. The council has touched individuals and families in Hayesville, Murphy, Andrews, Robbinsville, Hiawassee and Blairsville, Ga., to name a few local towns.
We build an average of six handicapped ramps per year – some 85 over the years in total – at an average cost of about $1,700 per ramp. The council has paid bills, secured deposits for apartments, helped families with hotel costs during children’s hospital stays, car repairs and many other areas including counseling. We don’t just hand out money, we help pay the bills.
If you’d like to make a financial contribution to this cause and perhaps touch someone you know, you can pay by check payable to CCVMC and mail to Tri-State Chaplain Corps, P.O. Box 22, Hayesville, NC 28904; or visit the American Legion Post website at post532.org. On the home page, scroll down to the “donate now.”
For details or to schedule a visit or speaker from the Tri-State Chaplain Corps Veterans Mission Council, visit us on the Facebook page Tri-State Chaplain Corps or contact Carl Maxwell, chaplain of American Legion Post 532, at 828-389-6566.
The writer is a resident of Hayesville.