Huron County Veteran Service Commission (Jessica Hamilton, Director; CVSOs Nicholas Sabbato and Donovan Platte)

The commission. "In 1886, the Ohio Legislature passed an act establishing the Soldiers Relief Commission. Each of the 88 counties in Ohio has a board of five honorably discharged veterans appointed to administer veteran programs in their respective county. Operating expenses are provided through county real estate taxes. In 1986, the Soldiers Relief Commission was renamed the Veterans Service Commission." The Huron County Veteran Service Commission "was established to assist veterans, their spouses, and minor children. We prepare claims for the Federal Department of Veterans Affairs so that veterans and their eligible dependents can receive compensation, pension and education benefits"; the commission is "legislated by the state of Ohio and funded by Huron County property taxes", each of the 88 commissions' boards created "under the Ohio Revised Code, ORC 5901". The commissioners and the office. Scott Sparks (DAV representative, [email protected]), Mindy Soisson-Calhoun (American Legion), Jim Hager (Marine Corps League), Bob Ferrell (AMVETS) and Thomas Price (VFW); the mandatory monthly meeting is the first Monday at 10 a.m. with a work session the third Monday. The office: Director Jessica Hamilton ([email protected]), Office Secretary Bonnie Gfell, County Veteran Service Officers Nicholas Sabbato (nsabbato@) and Donovan Platte (dplatte@); 185 Shady Lane Drive, Suite C, Norwalk OH 44857; 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday; (419) 668-4150, fax (419) 663-6215. Financial assistance. "The purpose of financial assistance is to provide temporary financial aid to those who are in need. Assistance will be given to those who have an emergency or hardship as determined by the Huron County Veteran Service Commission, and are otherwise eligible under the Ohio Revised Code, Section 5901." Eligibility reaches a veteran who served on active duty for reasons other than training or incurred a service-recognized disability, an active duty member, or the spouse, surviving spouse, dependent parent, minor child or ward, who "has lived in Huron County for three (3) months prior to the date of application"; a Financial Assistance Packet details the documents. The van. "To schedule transportation you must call (419) 668-4150 48 hours in advance to have your name placed on the list. All transportation is on a first come/first serve basis. We provide free transportation to the VA medical facilities of Wade Park, Parma, Sandusky, Lorain, and Mansfield." The drivers are part-time: Mike Greene, Tom Lovitt, John Martin, Ronnie Hibbard, Tom Rusynyk and Chris Kluding. The policy: passengers must be ambulatory, a caregiver "for the purpose of providing aid and attendance" may ride with notice, veterans "must be ready to leave at the time scheduled", and "after 2 NO SHOWS, without calling this office will result in a 6 month suspension from riding on the county van." The records. The office's Military Records page: "your County Veterans Service Office can assist you with retrieving your records and updating your discharge information", with the ODVS's early-to-mid-1900s discharge papers and pre-1993 wartime bonus records, and CVSO access to DPRIS under the signed confidentiality agreement. The board's own account. Director Hamilton's August 12, 2025 presentation to the Commissioners (see the record entry): "Ms. Hamilton explained the services they offer to Veterans. She noted they are not the VA. Their staff assists with VA benefits applications, financial assistance for those facing hardship, and transportation to VA medical appointments... She mentioned the Silent Watch in September and the Fall Fair in October."