$100K for Camp Jack

Matt Russell, president of the Jack Williams Veterans Resource Center, announced last Thursday he was informed that Camp Jack had been awarded a $100,000 grant through the CARES Act.
Russell made the announcement during a ceremony honoring the late Jack Williams, a corpsman with the 3rd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division who was killed on Iwo Jima on March 3, 1945, while saving other Marines.
The group recently leased the old National Guard Armory, which was also the former junior high cafeteria, from the city of Harrison to be used as a veterans’ resource center — Camp Jack.
Although the old building is in need of repairs and updates, Russell made one point clear.
“Now, this money will not go toward remodeling Camp Jack,” Russell said when making the announcement.
Instead, he said it would go toward helping veterans and their families through outreach programs.

After the ceremony, Russell said the first thing they will do with the money is buy $20,000 worth of food certificates to be distributed to veterans in need. They will also stock the pantry at Camp Jack.
But part of the money will also go toward an outreach program to let veterans know what is available to them.
“Sixty-six percent of veterans have no idea that they’re entitled to benefits, 66% nationwide,” Russell said. “And our job is to get out there and let them know, ‘Hey, there’s help here for you.’”
The money will go toward an audio/video system for Camp Jack and billboards letting veterans know about services for which they qualify.
Many veterans don’t have access to telehealth, so money will be invested in computer systems for the center. They will also buy tools to be used to repair wheelchairs and hospital beds, Russell said.