Serving our veterans in challenging times

Update: An audience of over 200 people joined us at the Shoreline Center for our Town Hall meeting on serving our veterans during challenging times. Presenters discussed current assistance programs and pledged that the services veterans returning from combat will need will be available.

Town Hall in Shoreline will focus on providing services to veterans during a time of recession and budget cuts

As service men and woman return from Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans in our region continues to grow. With tightening budgets, veterans often find that services are insufficient to meet the growing need. Not only do veterans face challenges accessing treatment for physical and emotional trauma, but those rejoining the civilian population must contend with the worst recession in decades.

Please join the King County Council for a special Town Hall meeting on how we can best serve the needs of our veterans:

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
6 p.m. – Public Reception
6:30 to 8:00 p.m. – Program

Shoreline Conference Center , Shoreline Room
18560 1st Avenue NE, Shoreline, WA 98155

The Town Hall will provide an opportunity for local residents, veterans, government officials, and Councilmembers to discuss the challenges confronting our veterans. The program will include an overview on the issues facing today's veterans, a briefing on veterans services by local, state, and federal government representatives, and personal stories from local veterans. The scheduled speakers include:

• John Lee, Director of the Washington State Dept. of Veterans Affairs
• DeAnn Dietrich, Deputy Director of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System 
• Fred Steele, Manager for the King County Veterans Program

Presenters will take questions from the audience and Councilmembers will take public testimony on any issue at the end of the program.

More about Town Halls

The County Council is a regional government committed to engaging King County residents in their local communities. Throughout the year, the Council holds local Town Hall Meetings on issues of public importance. Community members have the opportunity to meet Councilmembers, be briefed by local and regional experts, and provide public testimony.

Each Town Hall is a special meeting of the Council's Committee of the Whole (COW), the only standing committee on which all nine members serve. COW considers legislation and policy issues of interest to the entire council.

Since 2007, more than 3,650 people have met with Councilmembers at Town Halls held in Renton, Carnation, Covington, Federal Way, Shoreline, Burien, Kent, West Seattle, Redmond, Seattle, Maple Valley, and Sammamish.

Questions? Please email CouncilTownHall@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-0335.