Island County Veterans Assistance Fund and Veteran Services

The Veterans Assistance Fund is Island County's programme under chapter 73.08 RCW (see the Washington entry on county veterans' assistance funds), run by Human Services with offices at 1 NE 7th Street, Coupeville, and 121 N East Camano Drive, Camano Island (main line 360-678-5111). Emergency relief covers food, rent, utilities, medical and burial assistance, and the same staff help with VA claims for compensation, pension and health care. The county's gate is behind the statute. The page requires a veteran who "served under Honorable conditions in accordance with RCW 41.04.005", and adds that a National Guard, State Guard or Inactive Reserve member must have been deployed to serve in an armed conflict - training only does not count. Since chapter 146, Laws of 2024, RCW 73.08.005 has defined a veteran by a qualifying discharge under RCW 73.04.005: honorable, general under honorable conditions, other than honorable where VA documents eligibility for monetary benefits, or any discharge given solely for sexual orientation or gender identity. A veteran with a general or VA-accepted other than honorable discharge qualifies by statute; the county page, which also asks for an original or certified DD-214 (or, before 1950, a Certificate of Discharge), a year of continuous Washington residence immediately before applying, Island County residence at application, proof of identity and dependents, and income eligibility, does not say so. A veteran in that position should apply and cite 73.08.005. The staff. The VSO programme is partnered with the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs. The published contacts are Veterans Services Officer Zack Commet (360-632-2496), Veteran Services Coordinator Ray Hartmann (360-632-7328) and Veteran Services Officer David McInnis (360-632-0133). The county's 2025 legislative priorities say the 2023 Legislature funded the county's first VSO, that the county has helped veterans secure $2.5 million in federal benefits including back-pay, and that the VSO has a growing wait list; the county asked the 2026 session for $120,000 toward a second VSO. The county also claims to be "home to more veterans per capita than any other county in the State", a consequence of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The board. The Veterans Advisory Board meets 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the first Friday of every other month at 105 NW 1st Street, Coupeville, under RCW 73.08.035. Its appointments run through the Board of County Commissioners' consent agenda: the July 15, 2026 work session carried reappointment requests for positions 5 and 10 and appointment requests for positions 4, 6 and 7, and the August 4, 2026 consent agenda carried all five. The money. The fund is provided for by county property taxes. The county's adopted budget (Resolution C-55-25) shows the Veterans Assistance fund with 2026 budgeted revenues of $482,245 against expenditures of $542,877, after 2025's $466,584 and $380,660. The Board's consent agenda also routes community grants through other funds: Camano Island American Legion received $25,000 for 2026 for the Stanwood-Camano Veterans Museum & Resource Center. Where else. The county links the Whidbey Veterans Resource Center (whidbeyvrc.org), a community organization that connects, educates and serves veterans and their families.