On Tuesday the Veterans Assistance Commission and DuPage County Recorder’s office hosted a Veterans Resource Fair.
“So we got the Veterans Assistance Commission and recorder’s office Veterans Resource Fair. At the resource fair here, we got approximately seventy five agencies. It is open to anybody inside DuPage and outside DuPage County, and when the veterans and guests come up here, they get to go to the table and see what resources are available for veterans and their family members,” said Veteran’s Assistance Commission Superintendent Steve Fixler.
All Hands on Deck
Exhibitors worked together to find veterans the help they needed.
“It’s really a collaborative effort if somebody approaches a table and they’re unable to assist them they’ll say but so and so two tables down can help you with whatever it is they’re looking for. So, it’s really been quite a good event and it’s not specifically just for veterans. It’s for their caregiver it’s for their partners, and anybody who works with our veterans,” said Dupage County Recoder Kathleen Carrier.
Furry Involvement
One of the resources involved was the VIP Service Dog Foundation, a nonprofit that places service dogs with a veterans.
“The veterans have done so much for us, they get so little in return. And I think these organizations here specialize in helping these guys out and women, and we think that this is just a great opportunity for us to place a dog,” said Board Member of VIP Service Dog Foundation Tom Bolek.
The fair is an annual event, aimed at informing both veterans and their loved ones about services available to them both locally and statewide.
“The resource fair first started in 2017 I did it by myself. The recorder at that time had his own resource fair, and then we got together and decided to have one resource fair a year, and we combined it. So our combined resource fair has been going before the pandemic and everything like that and we’re continuing it today,” said Fixler.
Spread the Word
Fixler hopes those attending spread the word, to be able to help even more veterans through future fairs.
Naperville News 17 Patrick Codo Reports
