$50K grant for Liberty County will help struggling veterans

The Liberty County Veterans Services office recently was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission to help provide temporary financial assistance to veterans struggling due to job loss, reduction in work hours and medical bills.

The grant is being awarded through the Liberty County Veterans Services’ Project S.A.V.E. (Saluting Adjusting/Aging Veterans Equally).

Rolondria Webb, veterans services officer for Liberty County, applied for the grant on behalf of the county. She expects that the funding will allow her office to assist around 36 veterans and three surviving spouses at a minimum. Webb said they hope to stretch the funds to help as many veterans as possible.

The money may be used for rental and mortgage assistance, utilities (water, gas and electric) and to obtain documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

There is no income threshold to apply; however, approval will be made on a case-by-case intake process.

“Veterans might be facing a hardship and have come up short for the month. This might be the one time they use it and then they get their situation adjusted after that,” Webb said. “Then you have other veterans who might need it for a longer period of time.”

The grant is for short-term assistance only. Funding will expire on June 30, 2021.

“We don’t want to get into providing long-term assistance because our veterans have to learn financial responsibility. We don’t want them dependent on the assistance to where it becomes a crutch,” she said. “In the future, we plan to hold financial planning counseling sessions so they can get an education — information they can share with others.”

Applications may be made by appointment only at the county courthouse annexes in Liberty and Cleveland. Applicants must prove their hardship in order to qualify. Funding will be based on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you are a U.S. veteran living in Liberty County and would like more information or want to set up an appointment, call the Liberty office at 936-346-4558, ext. 3, or the Cleveland office at 281-593-8402.