Genesee County, Michigan – Genesee County has a lot of veterans and military families, and the Genesee County Department of Veterans Services does a lot of work to help them. The department’s main goal all year long is to help veterans understand their benefits, get long-term services, and stay in touch with resources that aid both individuals and the community as a whole.
The amount of help coming into the county shows how hard they are working. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs spent around $150 million directly in Genesee County during Fiscal Year 2024. There were also $105 million in indirect costs that paid for services that go beyond just making payments. When you look at all of those numbers together, you can see how veterans’ benefits affect families, neighborhoods, and local systems all around the county.
Direct payments include salaries, pensions, and survivor benefits that help veterans and their families stay financially stable. Indirect expenditure helps with long-term requirements like healthcare, education, housing changes, and other things that make life better. The Department of Veterans Services is very important for helping people understand and use these programs.
“Connecting veterans in our community to benefits is central to our mission,” said GCDVS Director Derrick Britton, who retired from the Michigan Air National Guard in 2024.
“Throughout Genesee County, our goal each year is to make a positive impact on our residents. And for us, it’s not just about benefits for veterans, but also about how we can ensure our community reaps the benefits of working alongside veterans in every aspect of life.
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Help from the local level remains just as crucial as help from the federal level. In the last year, the Genesee County Soldiers Relief Commission and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Committee gave veterans who were having trouble with money more than $85,000 in emergency assistance. These donations help meet immediate needs and make sure that no veteran goes without help when things get tough.
Genesee County leaders agree that helping veterans is both a duty and a good use of money. Delrico J. Loyd, the chairman of the Board of Commissioners, said that the county continues to be committed to improving services for veterans, and that residents all around the county support this.
Click here for more information about Genesee County Department of Veterans Services.