Yakima County Veterans Program and Veterans Relief Fund

The Veterans Program is Yakima County's programme under chapter 73.08 RCW (see the Washington entry on county veterans' assistance funds), a division of Human Services at 223 N 1st Street, Yakima (appointment line 509-574-1537; fax 509-574-1548; [email protected]). The coordinator is Ray Hernandez (509-574-1528). The programme is funded by the county and by donations and says it receives no federal or state funding, so the Relief Fund is "not an entitlement program": the veteran or family member must meet the guidelines of RCW 73.08 and Yakima County policy, with proof of service, residency and indigent status verified. The county's policy itself is not published online. What the Relief Fund pays. The 2024 brochure and flyer list temporary emergency needs: food, gas and utility vouchers, transportation, rent and deposits, dental and burial. Around the fund the programme keeps a resource centre with computer, internet, phone and fax, a food pantry and a clothing closet; homeless assistance, case management and outreach; and a weekly Veteran Housing Orientation Class, every Tuesday at 2 p.m. at the United Way Building, 116 S 4th Street, Yakima, which walks veterans through HUD-VASH, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, Grant and Per Diem case management, WorkSource and the Yakima Valley Vet Center. Veterans leaving jail. The Veterans Incarcerated Program works with veterans serving for non-violent offences in the county's jails and other jails in the county on re-entry: case management, essential needs, medical and mental health and substance use counselling, transitional housing, finances and benefits. The Board of County Commissioners endorsed the programme and created the county's veterans coordinator position to run it. The board and the money. An eleven-member Veterans Advisory Board of county veterans advises the commissioners on policy and procedures, and the commissioners appoint it by resolution on their consent agenda - Resolution 326-2025 on December 23, 2025, and Resolution 102-2026, which calls the body the Veterans Advisory Committee, on April 28, 2026. The Relief Fund is not a dedicated levy: the county funds it from its own budget. On October 26, 2026 the commissioners took a fifteen-minute item titled "Recommendation from focus group regarding the separation of Veterans Assistance Levy" (Commissioner Curtis); the records read show no levy adopted. On October 13, 2026 the commissioners approved Agreement 250-2026 with the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs to host a Vet Corps member supporting the programme through August 31, 2027, for a $4,500 participation fee, and earlier in 2026 they sent programme staff to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans annual conference and WDVA's Serving Those Who Served conference. Courts. Yakima County has no veterans treatment docket. The Superior Court's therapeutic courts are the Drug Court and the Mental Health Court, and the District Court keeps a veterans resources referral list - Chuck Austin Place (the housing authority's veteran housing), the Freedom Pantry, OIC of Washington, WorkSource's veterans representatives, this programme and the Yakama Nation's veterans services among them. On April 30, 2026 the commissioners took up a "Letter of support for proposed Veteran's Treatment Court Program" from Jessica Humphreys; the records read show no docket established. VA claims. The brochure points veterans to the Veteran Service Officers at 2807 W. Washington Avenue, Suite 115, Yakima (509-654-7191), the DAV Chapter 8 service officer (509-453-2702), the American Legion and VFW service officers, and the annual Veterans Stand Down, most recently at the Yakima SunDome.