Bay County Veteran Affairs Committee: Emergency Relief and Burial

The county's Emergency Relief Services page: "The Veteran Affairs Committee is responsible for providing emergency assistance to veterans and their dependents who are eligible. The assistance is generally provided in the form of food or shelter. Items such as food, housing, rent, utilities, and vehicle repairs are considered for payment." The committee also administers burials: "The Veteran's Burial expenditures are also administered by the Veteran Affairs Committee. The Committee can authorize up to $300 for the burial expenses of any veteran who dies and meets the provision of Public Act 225 of 1911, as amended." See the Michigan entries on veterans relief funds (MCL 35.21) and burial expenses (MCL 35.801). How. "To see if you qualify for benefits and to submit an application" the page links the Relief Fund Application, a form that collects a financial statement and the veteran's details; the Emergency Relief Coordinator at 989-895-4108 takes it. The committee meets in records posted through 2024 on the county's Veteran Affairs agendas page, which has carried nothing newer. The county's Michigan Veterans Trust Fund committee is separate and runs on state money: its page lists the eligibility (an honourable discharge plus 180 days during a period of war, or 180 days with an Armed Forces/Navy Expeditionary Medal, or less than 180 days with a service-incurred disability, with dependents eligible in certain circumstances), the documents to bring (DD-214 or other discharge, proof of residence, dependents' documents, proof of income and expenses), and that a veteran must apply in the county where they live. Call and make an appointment; the four-member committee is elected by the county's veterans organizations.