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Disabled American Veterans search for a new place to call home

Opelika-Auburn News - 8/17/2017

Army veteran Dan Bloodworth Jr. filed a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2002, when documents were submitted to the VA on paper.

"Between 2002 and 2008, the VA lost my claim three times," Bloodworth said. "But because we had submitted it through the Disabled American Veterans national service office, they had the record, and that claim was finally approved. It was approved back to the day I first applied."

Today, VA claims are submitted paperless, and Bloodworth spends his time working as chapter service officer with Disabled American Veterans. He and his fellow volunteers assist veterans by ensuring they and their families receive all the benefits they qualify for, helping them file claims with the VA, and occasionally dipping into an emergency savings fund to financially help vets in a time of need.

But now, the DAV is in need of some assistance itself.

Addressing the problem

The nonprofit DAV, of which all volunteers are themselves veterans, is housed at the American Red Cross building in Opelika. The DAV has an office in the building, where staff works Tuesdays and Thursdays and hosts monthly chapter meetings.

But the Red Cross recently sold the building, leaving the DAV until Sept. 1 to find a new building and relocate.

"We're looking at, in 15 days, we're done," Army veteran Harvey Nelms, a DAV chapter service officer, said Tuesday. "Until we actually get space, we can't service veterans."

The Red Cross itself doesn't yet know where it's relocating, Bloodworth said.

"If they get a building with enough space, we would be very welcome," he said. "But nobody knows. And I don't want to have a break in helping veterans."

The Red Cross has been allowing the DAV to use its space rent-free. But with its future location uncertain, the nonprofit DAV is searching for any place in Lee County where it can continue providing services.

The office space needs to be about 600 square feet, service officer trainee Keiwana Eaton said. The DAV owns two desks and one copy machine that will fill the space. It also needs to be wheelchair accessible and bathroom accessible and have shelf space for storing handouts and other documents for sharing with the veterans.

Internet access is preferred, but not necessary, as Bloodworth said he can use his phone as a WiFi hot spot for the computers during office hours. The group also needs a space to hold its monthly chapter meetings. Bloodworth said he would like to have meetings in the same location as its office, which is what DAV has been doing at the Red Cross building.

There also needs to be a separate waiting area, Nelms added.

"The reason for the waiting area is, we try to give privacy," he said. "Let's say that while a veteran's talking to me about whatever his disability is, I don't want another veteran sitting there, waiting to see me. When you're talking to me, you're talking to me one on one. You're not talking to me in front of a whole bunch of other people."

Services it provides

The DAV chapter purchases its own office supplies and has no funding other than donations, so it can use any funds it does collect to assist local injured members of the military.

"Last year, we had a veteran who came in with his family. They had the choice of paying rent or buying food," Bloodworth said. "If they didn't pay their rent, they were going to be homeless. I think we bought $250 worth of food for the family. That's why we don't have money to spend on a lease or something else."

Ninety percent of the work DAV does is with the VA, but the group also helps widows get their husband's military benefits and provides money to veterans who are directly affected by a natural disaster, such as a tornado, he added.

The DAV also operates a van that starts in Valley and travels to the VA hospital in Tuskegee, making stops along the way to pick up veterans who need transportation to their doctor appointments.

"You do not have to be a member of the Disabled American Veterans to attend a meeting or to get help from us," Nelms said. "We have an open door to say any time a veteran needs any type of help doing his disability claim, we're here. We don't get paid for this. We're here strictly as one fellow service member helping another one."

But from now until the end of the month, the group is searching for a new home base.