Wexford County Veteran Services (Director Carrie Perez), Cadillac

The office. The county's Veteran Services page: "Our team helps veterans understand available benefits, navigate applications, and connect with resources in Wexford County and beyond. Whether you are filing your first claim or have questions about additional assistance, contact our office to get started." How it helps: "VA disability claims; VA health care applications; Information about education, survivor, and burial benefits; Connections to federal, state, and local assistance; Veteran resources and community events." The team: Carrie Perez, Director; Kent Myers and Gary D. Brewer Jr., Veterans Service Officers. 401 N. Lake St., Cadillac, MI 49601; 231-775-6654; Monday to Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday by appointment, closed daily noon to 1:00 p.m. "Please call to schedule an appointment so we can prepare for your visit." The year. The office closed in the autumn of 2025 (the Board's November 5, 2025 minutes: "the Veteran's Office is currently closed"), and Kalkaska County's officer filed claims for Wexford veterans under an agreement approved on January 21, 2026 ("Kalkaska will be billing for our Veterans, and Wexford will reimburse Kalkaska when necessary"; no veteran had to travel). Kent Myers served as interim director from December 2025; the Board approved a full-time Veterans Services Director on April 1, 2026, and Carrie Perez reports as Director from the committee's August 12, 2026 minutes. The committee voted to hire a part-time VSO on June 15, 2026; its October 14, 2026 agenda records that "Gary has started" and will seek American Legion accreditation in November. What the office reports. The director's reports count the office visits (75 in August, 72 in September 2026), claims, VA health care applications, emergency assistance and "County Burial benefits and letters" initiated (two in July and two in August 2026); the September 2, 2026 minutes list 35 claims. The committee's October 14, 2026 agenda: "Grant Request for 2027 has been GRANTED in full from MVAA" (the State's County Veteran Service Fund, MCL 35.621 and the Michigan entries). Outreach. The 2026 Northwest Michigan Veterans Expo (August 1, 2026, at The Wex, Cadillac: 48 vendors, 243 veterans signed in), the Wexford County Salute to Service at the Northern District Fair, the Manton Military Museum's monthly coffee (10 a.m., November 5, 2026), the Wexford County Airport Veterans Coffee (9 a.m., November 14, 2026), and the Veterans Memorial Wall, for which the Board extended a fundraising contract through November 1, 2026.