BELL COUNTY, Texas(KXXV) — In Bell County, the Veteran Service Office serves more than 50,000 local veterans helping with disability claims.
- 400,000 grant recently submitted
- Will know if the grant is approved in June 2025
- Allows for new assistance services
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“We do surviving spouse claims as well as dependent claims if the dependents are still eligible,“ said Melanie Castleberry, Bell County Veterans Service Officer.
A $400,000 grant is expected to change the services they can offer local veterans.
“Rent, mortgage, utility, some funeral cost, transportation,” Castleberry said.
Castleberry says she sees veterans in the community struggling every day — to help turn the tide, they partner with other organizations to help keep the vets on track.
However, the office is limited in how much it can offer veteran households in the community.
“Versus a veteran coming in and saying I'm two months behind on my mortgage because of XYZ and with this grant we will be able to pay that two months for them,” Castleberry said.
The funding will allow a secretary to be added to the two-man Bell County Veterans service team and to help with local veteran events.
Those events give access to more resources, such as those available to vets at the A&M Central Texas veteran benefit expo.
“We map out a plan to show them how to get all they deserve,“ said Omega McNeal with the Emperial Group.
“I have a lot of spouses and their soldiers are in a lot of pain and it’s life-changing for them and they don’t have all their benefits."
“Once we actually get approved the renewal process is way easier all we have to do is show we used this money and where it went,” Castleberry said.
If the grant is approved, applications for utility assistance and other services will open in June 2025.
