| COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA ADVISORY For Immediate Release: September 1, 2011 For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 |
City Council Creates Veterans Affairs Committee
(Columbus)--In a continuing effort to better address the needs of Columbus veterans and their families, Columbus City Councilmember Hearcel F. Craig has worked with his colleagues to create a new standing committee that will focus solely on the needs of Columbus’ past and present servicemen and women.
“Council works continuously to address the needs of our community, and this new committee will help raise awareness of the challenges veterans face and link veterans and their families with the services they need,” said Council President Andrew J. Ginther. “And, when it comes to understanding the needs of veterans and their families, no one on Council is more qualified to address these concerns than President Pro Tem Craig.”
Councilmember Craig, a Vietnam-era veteran who served in the United States Army, says the Veterans Affairs Committee will highlight the many programs and services that assist this growing population.
“There are a myriad of services offered by multiple levels of government aimed at veterans and navigating these waters can sometimes be a daunting task,” said Craig. “My mission for this new committee will be to continue to protect the rights and benefits of Columbus veterans while promoting programming that improves the lives of military personnel and their families.”
There are an estimated 100,000 veterans living in Columbus. The new committee will evaluate the needs of Columbus veterans and assist existing service related agencies while working in concert with Rick Isbell, Columbus’ Veterans Affairs and Americans with Disabilities Coordinator.
“Anything we can do as a city to help veterans attain the benefits and services they have earned is a step in the right direction,” said Isbell, an Air Force veteran of the Gulf War. “Having a dedicated City Council office with the firsthand understanding of the challenges veterans face will only improve in the overall responsiveness of City Hall to the needs and concerns local veterans.”
Councilmember Craig says the new committee will also work with Columbus Equal Business Opportunity Commission Office to incorporate disable-veteran status into current city standards and collaborate with the Office of Homeless Advocacy to move homeless veterans from the streets to stable housing situations.
“Veterans deserve the strongest voice possible fighting for our rights and it is good to know that City Council will do all they can to help us in our times of need,” said Bill Adams, a Columbus resident and Korean War veteran who also serves on the Columbus Veterans Advisory Board.
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