American Legion provides for veterans
American Legion Post #176 provided Clark College Foundation with a $10,000 gift in support of military veterans attending Clark College.
The support will assist student veterans with the cost of basic dental care through the Firstenburg Family Dental Hygiene Education and Care Center, as well as provide for a veteran emergency fund, and materials for recruiting veterans to Clark College and promotion of Clark’s Veterans Resource Center.
American Legion’s Phil Yasson hands Judy Starr, of the foundation, a $10,000 gift, while Gary Zilm from American Legion and the foundation’s Kelsey Hukill look on.
“The veteran members of the Salmon Creek American legion Post 176 are extremely happy to help our young veterans with this support. It is our way of showing our thanks for serving our country,” said Phil Yasson, a member of Salmon Creek’s American Legion Post 176.
Student veterans numbered 622 during Clark’s fall enrollment, with nearly 400 using military education benefits, according to Kelly Jones, Clark’s Veterans Resource Center manager. Local or federal military benefits do not cover all of the health care needs of veterans, such as dental care needs that aren’t related to a veteran’s service. The American Legion gift allows student veterans to receive cleanings, assessments, X-rays, and some restorative procedures such as fillings.
“By using part of this gift to establish an oral hygiene program, we’re ensuring student veterans pay attention to their oral health. By providing them with routine exams and cleanings, they may be able to head off other health problems associated with poor oral health,” said Jones.
The support will also add to Clark’ Veterans Resource Center emergency fund, which assists Clark student veterans in crisis with such issues as homelessness, eviction, domestic violence and drug and alcohol addiction.
Finally, the center requires marketing materials in order to promote what the college has to offer veterans. The American Legion gift provides funding for the printing of materials that are used at local community job fairs, U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard events and distributed to individual veterans, said Jones.
02/22/2016
