Local resource center anticipates increase in clients

CHICO » The Veterans Resource Centers of America has seen an increase upwards of 25-30 percent in call volume as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While those trends haven’t quite reached the same uptick in its Chico location, that could very well change in the coming months, site director Melissa Frohrip said.

The Chico Veterans Resource Center, one of 14 communities the VRC operates in across California, Nevada and Arizona, has a staff of four including two case managers, one in program support and Frohrip, the site director, all of whom assist veterans and their families with housing and temporary financial help, mental health services and a range of other things.

In a given year, the staff in Chico typically serves between 170 to 200 veterans. Over the last two weeks since Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted a statewide shelter-in-place order March 19, the center has seen five new clients enrolled.