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Lincoln County veteran service office reports 7,332 communications and significant state aid in 2024
Summary
The county veteran service officer told commissioners the office logged 7,332 communications in 2024 and helped secure state veterans aid, while urging more staffing and modest equipment to handle growing demand.
Tom, Lincoln County veteran service officer, told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 3 that the office logged 7,332 communications in 2024, including phone calls, office visits, faxes and emails.
He said the office recorded a large volume of documents uploaded and that the total Nebraska Veterans Aid for 2024 was $118,002.40 as reported, with county aid payments drawn from county funds totaling roughly $43,628 (figures presented by the veteran service officer and subject to final accounting). "That's how much we pulled out of the county aid funds to help veterans," Tom said.
The report matters because the numbers reflect the volume of direct casework the county veteran service office manages — from dental and funeral assistance to help paying bills and filing claims — and because staff said demand and outreach needs have risen.
Tom described the office workload and case-tracking limitations: some contacts cannot be tied to a single veteran record, and document-upload counts do not always reflect the number of individual documents. He also said home visits and outreach are increasing and explained what qualifies as a home visit: visits for veterans who are bedridden, in nursing homes or physically unable to travel to the office.
Melissa, assistant veteran service officer, joined Tom in answering commissioners' questions about operations and outreach. Both staff said they routinely work with state agencies on applications and that the average award from Nebraska Veterans Aid, as reported, was about $381.4 per award in the sample period described.
Commissioners asked about office capacity and client access. Tom said the office is "very, very busy" and described booking times of about six weeks to six weeks and a half for routine appointments, while noting urgent needs are accommodated. He compared Lincoln County's staffing and traffic to similar counties and said some counties of similar size have one or two additional staff members.
On equipment and workspace, Tom asked the board to consider a small desk scanner/printer for the office to reduce interruptions when two staffers use one central machine. Commissioners indicated they would look into options and suggested exploring temporary or portable solutions.
Tom and Melissa described outreach efforts, including coordination with veterans organizations such as the VFW and American Legion and suggested placing reminders about home-visit availability in local newsletters and veterans publications.
The presentation closed with commissioners thanking the veteran service office for the work and acknowledging the reported program metrics.
