Veterans forum set for Thursday

YAKIMA, Wash. -- The Southeast Yakima Community Center is hosting a free Community Veterans Forum Thursday afternoon, and all local veterans are invited.

The event -- sponsored by the Yakima County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Veterans of America Coalition -- takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the MLK Room at the center, 1211 S. Seventh St.

"Being active duty, there is a lot of information that I don't even know, so I can imagine veterans out there from Vietnam or World War II or Desert Storm that are probably lacking," said Staff Sgt. Milton Brake, a member of the rear detachment of the 737th Transportation Co. and chairman of the local NAACP's armed forces committee.

"My intent is to disseminate information for those veterans so they can be brought up to date regarding their benefits and resources that are available to them."

Veterans' wives, widows and widowers are also invited.

Guest speakers include Larry Wilson, team leader of the Yakima Valley Vet Center; Dave Brown, Yakima County veteran coordinator; and Raymond Miller, founder and executive director of Vets Place Northwest in Everett, Wash., and former chairman of the National Coordinating Committee for the National Association for Black Veterans Inc.

Topics include county, state and federal resources, benefits and services, claims assistance, women's programs, counseling, health care, transitional housing and homeless veterans' services.

For more information, call 509-575-6114.