Veterans and county officials gather for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Veterans’ Center office in downtown Yadkinville.
Veterans as well as several county leaders gathered on Veterans Day for a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Veterans’ Center office in Yadkin County. The center is located at 208 N. Jackson Street in Yadkinville. The former Veterans’ Services office was located in the Yadkin County Courthouse.
County Chairman Kevin Austin welcomed attendees to the ribbon cutting ceremony saying, “we’re really proud of the Veterans’ Center and the plans that Michael and everyone else has.”
Veterans Affairs Administrator Michael Smith said they were “tickled to death” to be in the new location.
“This facility is going to be a great benefit for our veterans,” said Smith. “We want it to feel like a place they can come and get all the help they need and just hang out and be around fellow veterans.”
The Yadkin County Veterans’ Center will offer a variety of services to the veterans of the community. Along with the Veteran Services office there will be office space that can be reserved by veterans agencies such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, The Veterans of Foreign Wars and other agencies that assist veterans in their claims with the VA. These office spaces can be reserved by these agencies so the veterans can meet at specific times and have a private area in which to discuss the intricacies of their personal claims with these representatives.
Along with the claims work, veterans will also be able to receive other services such as counseling through the Greensboro Vet Center, which will use the center as an outpost. Here qualified and certified councilors will be able to meet with veterans who suffer from PTSD, depression, and anxiety. They also offer assistance with anger management, alcohol/drug abuse, and family difficulties. The center is also actively seeking out other veterans organizations to get involved that assist veterans in any way possible.
The new space will house a veterans museum as well. Secretary of the Yadkin County Veterans Council James Cline is coordinating the museum portion of the new office.
“We got the momentum going with the idea primarily for preservation of our veterans history here,” explained Cline.
For more information about the Yadkin Veterans’ Center or to learn more about donating items for the veterans museum, call 336-849-7914.
Kitsey Burns Harrison may be reached at 336-258-4035 or on Twitter and Instagram @RippleReporterK.