An upcoming resource fair in Noblesville will connect veterans and active military members with about 60 organizations as part of an event that is also designed to be educational for the general public, according to organizers.
The July 8 event is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is hosted by the Hamilton County Veterans Corp. at Noblesville Schools Community Center, 1775 Field Dr. The event will allow attendees to learn about all the local, state and federal resources that are available, said Bill Doss, secretary and webmaster with the Hamilton County Veterans Corp. The organization, which has a mailing address in Noblesville, was founded in 2003 and became a nonprofit in 2012, according to Doss.
Members include individuals from the American Legion, VFW, AMVETS and other veteran service organizations within Hamilton County, according to its website. Doss, who was in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War, said the Hamilton County Veterans Corp. has worked on various projects since its inception.
The organization brought the Vietnam Wall to Hamilton County in 2003 and again in 2007, while it also rebuilt the Hamilton County War Memorial at Crownland Cemetery in Noblesville after a seven-year fundraising effort, according to Doss. He said the Hamilton County Veterans Corp., which consists of seven members, “is small, but mighty” and pointed out that the organization’s mission focuses on veterans taking care of veterans.
Doss, who lives in Fishers, said the organization also works to assist veterans in Hamilton County with any issues they might have, noting that all of the VFW and American Legions within the county will be in attendance at the veteran resource fair. The Daughters of the American Revolution will also be present, along with representatives from the Veterans Benefits Administration, Easterseals Crossroads, among others.
“If we all share those resources, the stronger we’re going to be in being able to help our friends, our neighbors,” Doss said. “It just makes more sense to work together and be more connected.”
The veteran resource fair will also allow attendees to learn about what is being done to prevent suicide in Hamilton County through the Stronger Veterans Stronger Communities Coalition, which will be launching the Governor’s Challenge and “Ask The Question” initiatives in Hamilton County this month.
The Governor’s and Mayor’s Challenges, an initiative through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, is an effort “supporting the implementation of a public health approach for the prevention of suicide among service members, veterans, and their families,” according to the Indiana Dept. of Veterans Affairs website.
“These efforts help states and communities develop the capacity to implement interagency military/civilian action plans grounded in evidence-based suicide prevention practices,” the website said.
Earlier this year, Hamilton County was selected to participate in the “Ask the Question” initiative and was the first and only Indiana county selected to participate. The “Ask the Question” initiative and its sister program, Crisis Intercept Mapping, were designed and developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration on behalf of service members, veterans and their families to help communities strengthen the delivery of evidence-based suicide prevention policies and practices, officials said.
Doss, who estimates there are 17,000 veterans in Hamilton County, said many veterans often don’t know about the benefits they are eligible for once they leave their branch of service.
“That is really the hardest part is reaching those that don’t know,” Doss said.
Doss also said many veterans face issues such as PTSD and noted it is important that people recognize ways to help individuals around them.
“It takes the whole community to let them know that they’re not alone,” he said.
But the veteran resource fair is one way the Hamilton County Veterans Corp. wants to connect with veterans who might need assistance. The organization also works with other various entities to assist veterans throughout the year as well.
Among the projects include collecting bikes, clothes and other essentials for Helping Veterans and Families and Good Samaritan, according to Doss.
It also delivers medical equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, crutches and other items to veterans who may need them, Doss said. The organization also refurbishes, cleans and builds ramps to homes for veterans as well, he added.
“We get phone calls from veterans or friends of veterans or from anyone who knows of a situation that we might help with,” Doss said. “We are here to try and do what we can to serve our military veteran community.”
For more on the veteran resource fair, visit hamiltoncountyveterans.com or call Doss at 317-698-4178.
