Waterford VFW Post 1008 to host Veterans Resource Fair
Waterford VFW Post 1008 to host free Veterans Resource Fair, 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, Sept.
30, at the VFW post, 1690 Airport Road, Waterford Township.
Representatives will be on site to serve all veterans, active duty, guard and reserves, and their families with resources including free nonperishable food boxes.
The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency to give away $100 Meijer gift cards while supplies last.
Oakland County Veterans’ Services will provide information and claims assistance regarding a wide range of benefits available to veterans and their dependents.
Oakland County Housing and Neighborhood Development to help residents with rent, mortgage and utility relief grant application, housing counseling and more.
Oakland Community Health Network to address any behavioral health issues and concerns.
Oakland County Michigan Works! to provide veterans and their families with career planning, training programs, job search resources and the opportunity to meet with an employment specialist.
Registration is required for the free event, register at AdvantageOakland. eventbrite.com.
For more information, email Mark Woods huronvh02@yahoo.com or call 248-330-5640.
Holly Area Veterans Resource Center
Directors Joe Mishler and Ray Pfenning have been the directors of the Holly Area Veterans Resource Center since they founded it in 2014.
Mishler said they created the resource center for veterans because there is nothing out in the Holly area to help veterans. He said, “We are a resource center, if a veteran needs help of any kind, you can come in and talk to us and we’ll find whatever
help we can find you and that includes housing, jobs, how to navigate the Great Lakes National Cemetery or whatever you may need including getting service officers to help with claims.”
They are also open to anyone who just wants to come in and talk.
Mishler said he serves, “Because I’m a veteran and we want to give back and serving veterans and helping them; there’s no better way to do it than doing it through the center. We help all kinds of individual veterans and families, and you never know whose life you’re going to affect and change. The bottom line is, if you’re with us than you can help veterans, a lot of people just talk it, they don’t do it.”
Mishler said they don’t have any boundaries like county veteran’s services do, they help veterans from all locations. They work closely and have an excellent working relationship with Holly American Legion Post 149 and Holly VFW Post 5587.
Mishler served in the Army from 1966 to 1968 as an infantryman and in Vietnam in 1967. He was wounded twice and has two Purple Hearts for his service. He served with Company B, 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 25th Division.
Director Ray Pfenning said “The reason for the veterans’ center is that we did a survey to find out what the need was and 85 percent of veterans in 2014
said they wanted nothing to do with any kind of veteran’s service organization. We thought that with that kind of information they needed someplace different to come to. They don’t want to have anything to do with any kind of a vet’s thing, there’s an equal mistrust of everything that reminds them of being a veteran. We’ve come a long way since
2014 and I think we’ve changed the perception with a lot of people, but not with everybody.”
Pfenning said, “I serve because I’m very veteranoriented and saw a need.”
Pfenning served in the Navy from 1959 to 1963 in the Far East, Japan, Okinawa and the Philippines as a radar operator on a EC121K, Willy Victor airplane over the ships in the fleet to give an early warning for anything that could be an issue.
Pfenning is currently trying to find more Honor Guards for military services at the national cemetery. The third Monday of each month they sponsor a Vet-to-Vet dinner at American Legion Post 149 at 5:30 p.m., free to veterans and their families. They sponsor a weekly yoga class and the Hometown Heroes project, where they honor people going into the service or coming out of the service.
The Holly Area Veterans Resource Center is at 300 East St. It is a 501c 3 nonprofit organization. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Service Officers are available by appointment.
For more information, call Joe 810-348-9960 or Ray 248-882-1406 or email jmm1967@comcast.net or raypfenning@comcast.net.
Upcoming events
• Farmington American Legion Post 346 to sponsor Monaghan Knights of Columbus Council #2690 Community Blood Drive from 1 to 7 p.m. today at 19801 Farmington Road, Livonia. For more information, call 866-MIBLOOD or visit versiti.org/mi.
• A Gold Star Family Memorial Service is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.
28, at the Gold Star Family Memorial Monument, at 40700 Romeo Plank, Clinton Township. All are invited. For more information, call 810-794-0638.
• “Welcome Home Our Troops” is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 in downtown Holly. The celebration will include a parade, food trucks, live entertainment, and Vietnam commemorative pinning ceremony. All veterans and the public are invited. The parade is from noon to 1 p.m., beginning at 300 East St. to Maple St. to Broad St. The program is from 1:30 to 2:30 and Vietnam War 50th Commemoration Pinning Ceremony, is at the Moose Lodge at 210 S. Broad St. from 3 to 4 p.m.
The Yellow Ribbon tree in front of the Holly Elementary School on Maple St., currently has 47 yellow ribbons, which represent the 47 people that are known to be currently serving.
For more information or to be part of the parade call Joe Mishler 810-3489960 or Jeremy Watson at 248-634-9571.
The Oakland Press is interested in all veterans events in Oakland County. Please send info in the body of an email with subject line “Veterans Affairs” to Sharon Longman at sslstart@ aol.com. Allow two weeks’ notice for scheduled events and include a phone number for readers to call for more information.