Veterans Assistance Commission of Macon County: Emergency Assistance and Office

The commission's own Handbook (Revised 04/30/2025, Effective 04/30/2025): "Emergency Veterans Assistance (EVA) EVA is available to assist applicants/recipients who, by no fault of their own, fell behind on their mortgage, rent, or power bills. If approved for EVA, the applicant will not be eligible for EVA again for 12 consecutive months." Eligibility: "Veterans Assistance is assistance paid exclusively to Honorably or Under Honorable Conditions Discharged Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, their surviving spouses and/or their dependents"; "Veteran must have resided in Macon County for a minimum of sixty (60) consecutive days"; and an applicant must present a DD-214 or Certificate of Service showing Honorable Discharge or Under Honorable Conditions. "The VACMC EVA standard of need is 50% above the Federal Poverty guideline in the current year and that chart will be updated yearly." The assistance items: "Food & Hygiene Gift Cards: The VACMC provides food & hygiene gift cards on a one-time basis for up to $100." Shelter: "Rental and mortgage payments will not exceed $1250 payments. When seeking assistance with a mortgage or rental payment, deposits are not covered by the VACMC and 10 % of the total amount due must be paid by the veteran." Housing and utility costs are paid directly to the creditor, and a landlord must file an IRS W-9 and the commission's landlord sheet. The county's own page for the department: "The Veterans Assistance Commission provides services to the veterans and his/her family that may not be available from other agencies", with the office at the Macon County Office Building, 141 South Main Street, Room 210, Decatur, IL 62523, (217) 424-1376, [email protected], M-F 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Its transportation: "Our Van leaves at 0700 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday... Round trip drop-off and pickup is at VA Decatur Community Based Outpatient Clinic located at: 792 N. Sunnyside Road, Decatur, IL 62522. The bus will return/leave Danville between 1130-1230 normally returning to the VA Clinic in Decatur between 1300-1400." The page also names the Honor Guard's donation route (Charles Loury, 1781 E. Division St., Decatur, 217-781-0105). The county's funding. The 2026 budget funds the commission (fund 087) at $421,078 against a $302,200 levy, a $118,878 gap the fund balance covers; the 2027 display budget carries a $302,700 levy against $396,230. The 2026 expense lines include Contractual Services $50,000, Veterans Assistance Expense $45,000, Bus Transport $22,000, Emergency Assistance $20,000 and Veterans Dental Expense $2,500. The increase was the EEHW committee's October 24, 2025 item - "Resolution of the Macon County Board Requesting a $60,000 Increase in the 2026 Property Tax Levy for the Veterans Assistance Commission of Macon County" - adopted November 13, 2025 as Resolution B-14-11-25. The commission's own report. Its FY2025 Governor's Report (12/31/2025, signed Gregory Collins, Superintendent): "During FY2025, the Veterans Assistance Commission of Macon County facilitated $14,385,610 in new federal Veterans Affairs Compensation and Pension benefits through accredited claims representation... Approximately 79% ($11.37 million) of these federal dollars were retained directly within Macon County", with "Filing and supporting 850+ federal claims and appeals; Completing 2,289 federal, state, and local benefits forms; Providing $8,275 in emergency financial assistance; $1,000 Dental cleanings; Transporting 327 veterans to medical appointments; Directly assisting 1,026 veterans, survivors, and dependents." The board's year. The February 26, 2026 EEHW minutes carry Collins's report: the office "ended up about $14 million that the office brought into the county; well, $11.37 million we brought into the county. The other $3 million came into other counties around us... We are hoping some of that pressure comes off of us in the next few years. I ran our numbers this morning, and we're a little over $4 million already in two months this year. We're on the route to do $20 million plus this year." The later EEHW minutes record "Veteran's Assistance: No Report." The commission's own quarterly meetings (October 29, 2025, January 28, 2026, April 29, 2026, July 29, 2026) are posted with agendas and minutes on its site; the July 29, 2026 agenda carries the "Proposed FY 2027 Budget", the IACVAC training week and a Central Illinois Veterans Commission "Tiny Homes Program" item.