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www.shelbyinfo.com Our 41st Year • Issue No. 45 • November 7, 2024
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Shelby event to honor and aid veterans By Alan Hodge Military veterans, along with their families and caregivers, often face serious challenges as they navigate their way through the services and assistance that can make life easier for them postdischarge. Now, Cleveland County Government is stepping up with a special event that will showcase many of those aids and agencies in an upbeat atmosphere of education and empathy that will connect veterans to the services they need. Dubbed “Veteran’s Resource Connection Event”, the free program is slated for Wednesday, Nov. 20, from 9am to 2pm at the LeGrand Center, 1800 E. Marion St., Shelby. The need for events like it is huge, and the statistics behind it are staggering. According to numbers provided by Cleveland County Clerk to the Board of commissioners Phyllis Nowlen, there are over 8,000 veterans in Cleveland County. In North Carolina there are 700,000 veterans with only 117 accredited veterans service offices to serve them. Studies show that 44% to 72% of veterans experience high levels of stress in their first year after military service. Sadly, veter-
Cleveland County Commissioner Johnny Hutchins and clerk to the commissioners Phyllis Nowlen are just two of the people who have been working hard to bring the Veteran’s Resource Connection Event to Shelby on November 20. Photo by Alan Hodge ans make up 10.6% of all homeless people in the nation and are twice as likely to become homeless as those who did not serve in the military. Nowlen explained how the Nov. 20 event will help attendees. “This is not a grab a pamphlet and go event,” she said. “There will
Jeremy Hughes, Regional Manager for the North Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs, is seen at last year’s event actively helping a veteran with his claim and benefits. (Photos provided )
be representatives there from around fifty resources to offer and help people get started processing benefits.” Just a sampling of the representatives on hand will include local, and non-profit businesses, veteran health and wellness services, family support, claims assistance, and state-wide organizations. To help speedup on-site eligibility processing, it’s a good idea to bring a government photo ID and a DD21 but that’s just a suggestion, not a requirement. In addition, there will be a series of mini-classes on topics such as simple tax filing information, finances, IT classes, and calming techniques. Nowlen reflected on the 2023 event, which was a smash hit, and shared this See VETERANS, Page 5
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Pam Sharts (left), Marketing, PR, and Special Events Manager with VIA Health Partners founded as Hospice Cleveland County, at last year’s event.
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