Five years into his job as director of Grand Traverse County’s Veterans Affairs Office, Michael Roof (pictured) is very familiar with the issues facing northern Michigan veterans. He knows first-hand that sometimes, vets need a little help.

At 22, fresh out of the Marines, Roof had a wife and newborn, but had just lost his job. Rent was due and bills were stacking up when a veterans assistance program stepped up—paying for groceries and covering the rent. 

It gave him the breathing room he needed to move forward. Now, he’s focused on giving other veterans the help they need to make the transition from the military to civilian life.

“Our office is a clearing house for veterans and social service agencies within the region,” says Roof. “We substantiate every resource and agency we refer our veterans to for service. We don’t pass the veteran on to someone else; we provide wrap-around services in hopes to resolve their issues.”

Veterans in a financial bind can get emergency assistance through the Soldiers and Sailors Relief, which provides temporary help for honorably discharged vets and their dependents, and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, which aids veterans who are state residents. Help is available for paying rent, utility bills, and some home repairs. 

County offices can also assist vets with vocational rehabilitation and employment issues. Veterans may be eligible for healthcare services such as hospital visits, dental care, pharmacy and prosthetic services, nursing home or residential care, sexual trauma counseling, readjustment counseling, and much more.

There are also services for dependents and survivors of service members who died on active duty or from service-related disabilities. The VA also provides a number of burial services, including headstones, markets, burial flags and a $300 burial allotment for those who qualify. 

One of the Grand Traverse office’s most successful efforts already this year was a $50,000 grant to provide dental services to veterans. 

“The first one we served was a 99-year-old World War II Battle of the Bulge veteran,” recalls Roof. “He was living on a $1,200 a month Social Security check and couldn’t afford dental care. He hadn’t eaten solid food in two years.”

That veteran is one of many who has sought out the expertise of the Grand Traverse County Veterans Affairs Office. In 2022, Roof’s office saw 1,754 office visits, including 447 from new clients. “Not only was there an increase in office visits in 2022, but a substantial increase in new clients,” says Roof. His office also serves Leelanau County one day a week and had 143 visits last year, including 30 new clients. 

Roof attributes the rise in office visits to recent radio and TV advertising and events, many of which have been done through a Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency MVAA grant. The grant allowed Roof to organize the first-ever free Veterans Concert at Turtle Creek Stadium and several lunch and learn events to educate veterans about benefits.

He says about 42 percent of those 2022 visits were from Vietnam War veterans. Gulf War veterans made up 32 percent, while peacetime veterans totaled 15 percent. Korean War veterans accounted for 7 percent of the visits, and World War II veterans made up the remaining 4 percent. 

Meanwhile, nearby Kalkaska County has a surprisingly large number of veterans. Those who have served in the armed forces make up roughly 10.9 percent of the county’s 17,939 residents, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. That’s about one-and-a-half times the rate for the entire state (6.6 percent) and the nation (6.9 percent).

“The number of veterans has been steadily growing since I began here in 2014,” says Veterans Affairs Director Melanie Pauch. “It’s always run about 10 percent of the population.”

To the south, Kathy Cline and former Army veteran Charles Schmidt are kept busy working to serve Wexford County veterans from their office in Cadillac. 

“We see a few World War II veterans who are in their early nineties, but the majority we serve are Vietnam War veterans,” says Cline, a retired police officer. “They have a lot of problems with Agent Orange and PTSD. We don’t see a lot of younger veterans from the Gulf War. They tend to file their claims online.”

All three northern Michigan veterans affairs officers agree that spreading the word about their services is one of their biggest obstacles. It’s pretty common for vets to be unaware of the benefits that might be available to them.  

In Kalkaska, Pauch sends out postcards and uses newspaper ads to urge veterans to stop by her office and see what benefits they are eligible for. She also attends the American Legion’s monthly coffee hour held at 9am on the second Wednesday of each month at the Senior Center.  

“They have a number of interesting guests who give a presentation,” she says. “They’ve had health experts and an estate planning attorney.”

Some of the key issues that veterans face in her county include transitioning to civilian life, finding a job, homelessness, mental wellness care, suicide prevention, and transportation to VA appointments for rural veterans. 

Sometimes veterans are reluctant to apply for benefits because they feel they are taking something away from fellow vets, according to Pauch, whose husband is a Vietnam veteran. It may be spouses or children who urge the vets to take advantage of the benefits they have earned, she explains. She encourages folks not to wait—life-changing services might be within reach.

“I love what I do and I want to see veterans get the benefits they are entitled to,” says Pauch.  

In addition to being available by phone, email, and in person at their offices, each of the VA departments plans to have special programming and meetings over the course of the summer.

In Grand Traverse, Roof will be hosting a series of veterans benefits sessions this summer at the VFW Post #2780 at 3400 Veterans Drive in Traverse City. The two-hour sessions are set for 5pm on July 26, 6pm on Aug. 23, and 8am on Sept. 30. “Come enjoy a free meal on us while learning about benefits available to you,” is his message to veterans.