Southern Maryland News

New Veterans Corner and Commission for Veteran Affairs

- Michael D. Mallinoff is the county administra­tor for Charles County Government.

The county commission­ers are proud to be able to support our veterans for the sacrifices they have made to protect our country. To better assist the 17,000 veterans living in our county, Charles County has created the Veterans Corner and the Commission for Veteran Affairs.

Over the past year, the county has worked to identify the many ways veterans can connect to organizati­ons and resources that meet their needs. To provide local veterans with greater access to informatio­n, the county employed a summer intern to research and develop the Veterans Corner webpage, an online resource for veterans, which is updated and maintained by our veteran services manager. On this webpage, veterans can find informatio­n on medical, jobs and training, home and living, dependent/ spouses/families, financial, donate/volunteer, resources specific to female veterans, and discounts. If you have a veteran in your life, encourage them to visit the page to learn more at www.CharlesCou­ntyMD.gov/ Veterans-Corner.

After the establishm­ent of the Veterans Corner, the county heard enthusiast­ic feedback about the positive ways it had helped our military neighbors. The board of county commission­ers wanted to expand opportunit­ies for veterans to have a voice in their county. The Commission for Veteran Affairs was establishe­d in 2018 by Resolution 2018-02 to recognize the special concerns of veterans of war in Charles County who may be better identified and served by an organized commission. The mission of the commission is to provide leadership that creates opportunit­ies for all Charles County veterans and their families. The commission evaluates, develops, and promotes new and existing programs within Charles County. This commission is dedicated to making our county the best place to live, work and start a business in the state of Maryland for veterans.

The Commission for Veteran Affairs’ first meeting was held on Sept. 12 and inaugurate­d 12 commission­ers. At the November meeting, the commission discussed taking the lead and supporting legislativ­e efforts that would offer a Maryland State Tax Check Off to support the Maryland Veterans Trust Fund. The commission has also released their 2019 schedule; the meeting dates are scheduled for March 6, May 1, Sept. 4, and Nov. 6 in the Charles County Government Building (200 Baltimore St., La Plata) from 6 to 8 p.m. If you would like to get involved, Commission for Veteran Affairs’ meetings are open to the public.

In addition to your support of our veterans, consider supporting our deployed military every week by wearing red and participat­ing in R.E.D. Fridays, which stands for Remember Everyone Deployed. By rocking the red, not only are you expressing solidarity for our military, but also showing our service members and their families that they are never forgotten.

For additional informatio­n on the Veterans Corner or the Commission for Veteran Affairs, go to www.CharlesCou­ntyMD. gov/Veterans-Corner. If you have additional questions or concerns, please email VeteransSe­rvices@CharlesCou­ntyMD. gov or call Julie Bryson at 301645-0695.

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