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County resource coordinators and veterans officer outline services and outreach
Summary
Frio County's veteran service officer and two resource coordinators described outreach, program take‑up and assistance available to veterans, seniors and low‑income residents; staff requested equipment and reported program metrics and local impacts.
Frio County staff and volunteer coordinators gave the Commissioner's Court updates on veterans services and county resource programs during the January 2024 meeting in Pearsall.
Veteran Service Officer Chris Ramirez reported outreach and claims assistance for county veterans, listing breakfast and recognition events, a Veterans Health and Wellness event and ongoing claim follow‑ups. Ramirez said county veterans’ benefits and compensation have generated local spending and savings — in the transcript Ramirez said the county recovered or supported approximately $6,400,000 in compensation to veterans in 2023, and that veterans’ use of local services reduces county medical expenditures tied to veterans.
Resource Coordinator Gloria Trevino Benavides told the court she began in June and has logged "a little over a hundred" walk‑ins over a six‑month period (August–December). She summarized available programs she helps residents access, including USDA housing repair loans/grants, weatherization and appliance assistance, community action emergency utility assistance (Community Council of South Texas Action), food bank and Meals on Wheels, and Social Security and Medicare assistance. Benavides asked for office equipment: a scanner, copier and working fax to improve onsite assistance.
Grace Garza, a resource coordinator from the DLLI office, provided monthly walk‑in counts (22 in August, 29 in September, 47 in October, 38 in November and 15 in December) and reported approvals: 7 USDA applications, 2 weatherization approvals and distribution of heaters under a warming program.
Why it matters: County staff said the outreach connects residents to services that reduce emergency needs and bring funds into the local economy. Ramirez and coordinators emphasized the difficulty of reaching some veterans (female veterans and older Vietnam‑era veterans) and the importance of proactive outreach and follow‑up.
Next steps: Coordinators will continue outreach, and staff asked commissioners to share referrals from precincts. Benavides requested equipment to make the resource office fully functional.
All direct quotations below are attributed only to speakers listed in the meeting record.
