The Manitowoc County Veteran Service Officer is asking for the public to make their voices heard in Madison.
Todd Brehmer was on WOMT’s Be My Guest program this week, where he spoke about the Department of Veteran Affairs Veteran Outreach and Recovery Program (VORP).
This program has the goal of connecting veterans to “community services and provide case management and support, with a special focus on treatment and recovery.”
Brehmer explained that last year, the program received temporary funding, which let them hire on three additional regional representatives and counselors to help our state’s veterans.
However, that funding is now gone.
“Unfortunately, they are not really getting the support in the state Senate and State Assembly to take some of these extra funds the governor was just recently talking about…surplus funds,” he explained. “My intent is to make people aware that Madison needs to hear from us.”
The Veteran Service Officer for the County is, by design, a non-political position, so Brehmer is unable to call the Senators and plead his case, but he said he can “definitely encourage and ask everybody else, please call your representatives. Call your State Senators, your State Assemblypersons. Let them know how important this program is to the veterans of our community. Of every community.”
Brehmer also noted that the VORP program has a strong history in our area, as Manitowoc County was one of the first areas to sign up for the pilot program when it was founded.
More information on the program can be found online at dva.wi.gov.
