Veteran services reports December workload, outreach and training

Veteran Services updated the committee on December activity, outreach and training. The report (presented by Mister Elliott) said the office handled about 450 phone calls, 823 letters/emails/faxes and roughly 180 office visits in December; 71 of the office visits were described as walk-ins.

Elliott summarized yearly claims activity and payouts but the transcript rendered payout numbers unclearly; he described a decline in monthly claims compared with earlier counts and said "for the month of December for '24, we had 227 claims, and it was down to 490,000 or a little little over that," language the speaker used to indicate an approximate dollar amount. Because the financial figure is not clearly stated in the record, the exact payout amount is not specified here.

The department reported ongoing outreach with the La Crosse Vet Center and regional partners, group and individual counseling sessions, visits to nursing homes where staff and volunteers distributed donated cookies and cards, and social-media outreach that increased views and engagement. Elliott said the office completed work needed to maintain national accreditation and will continue periodic training to remain compliant.

A committee member asked whether people could drop off Valentine’s cards for veterans at the office; Elliott confirmed yes and said he would post drop-off details on social media.

The report was informational and no formal action or funding decision accompanied it.