Ryan Grams, director of the Kent County Veterans Services Agency, told the Community Health and Safety Committee on Nov. 25 that his office processed 747 fully developed veterans claims this year and had 506 claims awarded, resulting in "almost $11,000,000 of federal money coming in for veterans into their households," an increase Grams described as a 133% rise from the previous year.

Grams said the agency’s mission is to connect veterans and surviving spouses with federal, state and county benefits and to link them to local resources. He described several programs supported largely by a voter-approved veterans millage, including a Soldier & Sailors relief fund that approved 93 applications this year for housing, food and utilities and distributed about $107,000 in emergency aid.

Grams described the county burial program as a fund that provides $300 per approved burial; he said 19 burial applications were approved and the agency spent $5,400 on burials this year. He also reported that the Riverside home-cleaning initiative—now supported by the millage—served about 45 participants and delivered roughly 481 cleanings for veterans who are too disabled to maintain their homes.

The agency supports partner organizations that serve veterans: Ministries (32 veterans helped), Community Rebuilders (48), disability advocates (77), Senior Neighbors (15) and My Community Dental, which provided free dental care to 262 veterans at three county locations. Grams also said the county funds Veterans Court (about 10 participants) and contracts with Arbor Circle for substance-use counseling for roughly 74 veterans.

Committee members asked about funding and capacity. Grams said most operations now run on the veterans millage (approved through 2029 and adjusted to 0.0496 mil) and estimated the millage generated about $2.9 million last year. When asked why awards jumped this year, Grams credited outreach changes and a new outreach coordinator: "He's getting out there," Grams said of Daniel Zarr, describing on-site claims work at employers and resource fairs that reduced barriers to filing.

The committee thanked Grams for the presentation and outreach work; no formal committee action was required on the report.

The committee moved on after a short question-and-answer period and resumed the agenda.