Hundreds of Veterans Get Face-to-Face Help

Used for 2023 budget cover

More than 800 veterans and their families were served at the three-day open house held in Mecklenburg County Aug. 18 – 20, with more than $1 million in benefits likely to pay out as a result.

Held for the first time since 2019, Mecklenburg County Veterans Services, U.S. Veterans Affairs, and other partners sponsored Veterans Benefits Live: VA in My Town: Mecklenburg County. The event gave vets from across the region a unique in-person opportunity to ask questions and get answers about their benefits and claims, plus learn about other valuable services.

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte hosted Veterans Benefits Live: VA in My Town: Mecklenburg County. Click here to view photos.

Attending veterans represented at least 11 states, including most of the southeast, Colorado, Texas, Idaho and New York.

Highlights from the event:

  • Approximately $345,000 in retroactive benefits were paid out during the three days after claims were processed on site, with more than $1 million in larger awards likely after reviews during the next few weeks.

  • More than 125 veterans wanted more information about the PACT Act, which expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances.

  • Veterans also reached out for help on topics such as insurance benefits, military sexual trauma and homelessness. Twenty-eight veterans at the event identified as homeless, with one receiving retroactive benefits of $59,000.

  • More than 75 veterans were referred to NCServes, a statewide network that offers coordinated care and resources to North Carolina's military community.

Mecklenburg County is home to more than 50,000 veterans. There are 140,000 veterans in the Charlotte metropolitan area, the largest concentration in North Carolina. In FY2021, Veterans Affairs spent more than $550 million to benefit Mecklenburg County veterans, which includes $311 million in direct payments to veterans.

Partners for Veterans Benefits Live: VA In My Town: Mecklenburg County include:

Mecklenburg County Community Support Services Veterans Services Division is dedicated to serving veterans and their families. The office is accredited through the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers, North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Disabled American Veterans, and the American Legion. Veterans in need of service can visit veterans.MeckNC.gov or call 704-336-2102.