Local veterans made their case for funding Tuesday after one Hawkins County Commissioner expressed doubts to the Budget Committee about a proposed $95,000 allocation to the Veterans Center of East Tennessee.
Following a lengthy, and at times emotional discussion, the Budget Committee voted 6-0 to recommend the VCET funding, which will be drawn from the county’s opioid lawsuit settlement.
VCET is located at 105 W. McKinney Ave., Rogersville. Founders Michael and Jessica Paul presented the commission with their budget Tuesday, as well as a monthly calendar which lists all of the programs available.
For example, leather shop is every Tuesday and Thursday; coffee social is Tuesdays; VA Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) is Tuesdays; Life Recovery and PTSD counseling are Wednesdays; Veterans in Alcoholics Anonymous is Fridays; and Veterans in Narcotics Anonymous is Saturdays.
“Our Vets in Recovery is closed specifically for the veterans because veterans in recovery need just a little bit extra treatment than your regular civilian does,” Michael Paul told the committee.
There are also programs on the calendar for vet disability claims; woodworking; Recovery for Spouses of Vets; and a program called “Vets and Pets”.
Michael Paul said the $95,000 will be used to help with expansion.
“We need a lot of newer stuff,” he added. “A lot of newer literature. Stuff for our leather shop. We’re about to start up our woodworking shop. We have a full budget with a full breakdown as to what the money will be going for.”
‘I’m on the fence’
Commissioner Larry Clonce told the Budget Committee he is undecided about the VCET funding. He suggested that if funding is approved, that it be allocated in increments rather than all at once.
“I toured the facility this morning and I was very impressed with it,” Clonce told the committee. “I’m going to do further study. I know we’ve got the vote coming up next Monday.”
Clonce said he heard the VCET owed substantial back rent, although the Pauls said that has been worked out.
“If there is back expenses, we would pay those up, and give them a certain amount of money per month for six months, and see how that does,” Clonce said. “At the end of that six months they would give a financial statement to this committee and (budget director) Eric Buchanan, and see after six months what we need to to do go forward.”
Clonce added, “I’ll be honest. I’m on the fence. It sounds great. I would like to vote for it. But I’m not going to state today that I am. I’m still getting information.”
Cathy Doerr, who volunteers as a grant writer for the VCET, noted that the center is in its second year of operation, which is usually the minimum required for most grant applications. She’s hoping that grant funding is available in the second and third years of operation.
“They’ve operated on air and a prayer,” Doerr told the committee. “This will help us get a good footing, expand services, get a coffee machine, some computers, and then that will be a spring board to the second and third year and we can go ahead and get some grants under our belt.”
‘Saves people’s lives’
Budget Committee member Tom Kern said he does’t believe the commission needs to be “in the accounting business” in this situation, and make allocation in increments.
“I personally trust a lot of people (associated with VCET) sitting in this room, and I am going to vote for it,” Kern said. “I’m going to vote to give them the money all at one time. … I either believe in the people, or I don’t believe in them, and I vote accordingly.”
Rev. Billy Ray Courtney, who serves at the VCET’s senior advisor, told the Budget Committee he knows there are a lot of worthy causes seeking funding that help people. He said the VCET is in a different category.
“The Veterans Center doesn’t just help people,” Courtney said. “The Veterans Center actually saves people’s lives. If you’ve never seen a PTSD episode, it’s not good. The programs that we have for alcohol and drug abuse — they didn’t get addicted to drugs and alcohol because they were bad. They got addicted to drugs and alcohol because of what they had been through, trying to mask the hurt they they brought back from war.”
Courtney became emotional as he told the committee, “If you could just be there to hear one of them say, this place saved my life. We have several who have just lost spouses, and they’ll tell you that the Veterans Center has become their family.”
‘My lifeline’
Jeff Scott, who serves on the VCET Board of Directors, said he’s not aware of another location in Hawkins County where a person can walk in off the street and immediately receive drug and alcohol counseling.
Scott added, “We do. I don’t know how much weight that carries, but if you save one life — how much is that one life worth. When you save a bunch of them, and you put them all together, I don’t know how you budget for that.”
Navy veteran Richard Thomas, who became a widower 1.5 years ago, said he is one of those lives that the VCET saved.
“I had reached a point where I didn’t care whether I lived or died,” Thomas said. “My life was totally empty. My wife and I had a great relationship. When I lost her, half of me is gone. I started going down to the Vet Center, and it gave me a place to be around people who are veterans like myself.”
He told the Budget Committee, “The Vet Center saved my life.”
Thomas added, “That place means a lot to me. If it were to shut down, I don’t know what I would do because that’s kind of my lifeline now.”
The full commission will vote on this allocation when it meets Monday.
Most Popular
Comments / 0