County establishes new fund supporting local veterans

The Pike County Commissioners, Pike County Veterans Affairs Office, Greater Pike Community Foundation and VetStock have banded together to establish the Pike County Veterans Support Fund (PCVSF), a new fund administered through Greater Pike to support local veterans.

According to the Commissioners’ announcement, the PCVSF is designed to “support the operation, services, and programs of the Pike County Veterans Affairs Office, for which it is exclusively established.” Funds will be utilized by the Veterans Affairs Office to:

• Enhance or expand services and programs provided by the Pike County Veterans Affairs Office, including but not limited to staff training, supplies, technology, and equipment.

• Assist with training and education programs and opportunities to aid Pike County veterans in finding employment, working in conjunction with the Pike County Workforce Development Agency.

“We are grateful for the creation of the Veterans Support Fund,” said Jesiah Schrader, Pike County Veterans Affairs director. “With the influx of veterans seeking benefits, my office wants to ensure that we do everything in our power to ensure our veterans are being taken care of. The Veterans Support Fund will be essential in accomplishing this.”

According to the county, the Pike County Veterans Support Fund will become a permanent part of Greater Pike’s endowment and will be administered by Greater Pike’s Board of Directors, in partnership with the Fund’s Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee will comprise the three Pike County commissioners and the Pike County Veterans Affairs director. In addition, the Committee will appoint one community leader and two members from local veterans’ service organizations.

“The sole purpose of the PCVSF is to honor local men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving our nation by providing the greatest amount of benefits,” said Pike County Commissioner Matthew Osterberg. “Our veterans have supported their county. It is our time to thank, honor, and support them by creating and contributing to this fund.”

The fund’s initial donation of $10,000 came from VetStock, a local veteran support organization created more than a decade ago, dedicated to serving veterans in the greater northeast region of Pennsylvania.

The county said the Veterans Affairs Office is currently contacting all county veteran service organizations to garner additional support. The fund has received support from county service organizations such as the Milford Marsch-Kellogg American Legion Post 139, Newman Smith American Legion Post 514 of Bushkill, Matamoras and Milford Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) posts and the Gung Ho Marine Corp League.

“Greater Pike is honored to support those who have given so much to our country,” said Greater Pike Executive Director Rick Little. “This new fund is a meaningful way to honor the sacrifices our veterans have made and to increase the resources available to them in our community.”

Gifts to the fund can be made online at greaterpike.org/funds (click the Funds or Scholarships link on that page and scroll to the name of the fund) or by checks made payable to GPCF-PCVSF and mailed to Greater Pike Community Foundation: P.O. Box 992, Milford, PA 18337.