Skagit County Veterans Assistance Program and Skagit Vets Connect

The Veterans Assistance Program is Skagit County's programme under chapter 73.08 RCW (see the Washington entry on county veterans' assistance funds), budgeted as fund 107, Veterans Relief. The county says it "is operated by Skagit County Public Health, in partnership with Community Action's Robert M. Gates Skagit Vets Connect Program, and located at 160 Cascade Place in Burlington. Upon determining eligibility, the following services may be available to you and/or your family: Veterans Document Support; Disability Compensation and Pension Claims; Elderly and Disabled Veterans and Widow Programs; Emergency Assistance; Other VAF Services." Who runs what. The county's Veterans Service Officers, Chris Diaz and Cori Bryant, take self-scheduled appointments or calls at 360-588-5156 and hold drop-in hours: Skagit Vets Connect, Burlington (Mondays 1 to 3 p.m., Tuesdays 9 to 11 a.m.); the East County Community Resource Center in Concrete (first Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.); the Anacortes Senior Activity Center (last Friday, 10 to 11:30 a.m.); Recovery Café Skagit in Mount Vernon (second Wednesday, noon to 3 p.m.); and Helping Hands Food Bank in Sedro-Woolley (second Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). A WDVA Veterans Service Officer also sees veterans at the Mount Vernon VA Clinic, Skagit Vets Connect, Anacortes, Friday Harbor and Eastsound (206-843-5726). The commissioners renewed the WDVA claims contract (305E-22-013) on December 22, 2025. Emergency assistance. Case management and emergency financial assistance are contracted to NineLine Veteran Services under Personal Services Agreement C20250392, not to exceed $227,516.66 through December 31, 2026; on September 8, 2026 the commissioners raised its case management from 1.0 to 1.5 full-time staff. The county publishes no eligibility rules or payment limits for the fund, so a veteran should ask at Skagit Vets Connect; the State law's qualifying-discharge and veteran definitions in RCW 73.04.005 and 73.08.005 set the floor. The board. The Skagit County Veterans Advisory Board advises the commissioners on local veterans' needs and resources and meets the second Tuesday of each month, 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Skagit County Public Health, 301 Valley Mall Way, Suite 110, Mount Vernon, or on Microsoft Teams; its minutes are sent on request ([email protected]). The county holds Veterans Stand Downs at the fairgrounds, 1410 Virginia Street, Mount Vernon (the fall 2026 one on October 2 and 3). Hours. Skagit Vets Connect is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., [email protected].