Kootenai County veterans services highlighted at town hall

COEUR d’ALENE — Thousands of veterans call North Idaho home.

More than 60 of them gathered Monday night at the Kootenai County Administration Building for a town-hall-style primer on the core veterans services available in this county.

At the center of discussion was the upcoming North Idaho Veterans Stand Down, an annual event offering support to homeless and disadvantaged veterans and service members. The event is from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 18 at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds.

Organizer Debbi Nadrchal said 90 agencies will be onsite, providing services like counseling, legal advice, haircuts, dental work, veterinary care, bike repair and much more. Each attendee will also receive free groceries.

Nadrchal urged community members to spread the word.

“We want to make sure we take care of our veterans in this community,” Nadrchal said.

Kootenai County Commissioner Bill Brooks, a Vietnam veteran, conceptualized the town hall.

Brooks was unable to attend in person, as he is recovering from a leg amputation. But he was in good spirits when he called into the event and described his goal of highlighting a broad spectrum of veterans services available.

“I don’t think many people realize how many veterans we have in this community,” Brooks said.

Len Crosby of the North Idaho Veterans Assistance League said an estimated 30,000 veterans live in the five northern counties, about 20,000 of whom call Kootenai County home. He said the area’s veteran population has nearly doubled since he began his almost 25-year journey to bring a full-service skilled nursing facility for veterans to the region.

The Post Falls Veterans Home opened in 2022. The facility has 64 bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, as well as a centralized community center, chapel and other common areas.

The home has 53 residents at present and room for 11 more veterans or spouses of veterans who are eligible for admission. This includes widowed spouses of eligible veterans.

“I’m asking you to help me get the word out,” Crosby told the crowd. “If someone you know needs this kind of care, please refer them.”

Also present at the town hall were representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Kootenai County Veterans Council, the Idaho Department of Labor Veterans Services, North Idaho College and St. Vincent de Paul North Idaho.

Hayden resident Charles Riffel was among the dozens of veterans in the crowd Monday.

“I thought I should keep up on what’s available to local veterans,” he said. “A lot of people are interested.”

Riffel said he learned information that will be useful to him and other veterans, particularly about the Post Falls Veterans Home.

A video recording of the town hall, complete with information and phone numbers for all the presenting agencies, is available on Kootenai County’s YouTube channel.

    Tom Freeman, director of the county’s Veterans Services Office, encouraged local veterans to reach out for services.
  

    Tamira Barrett, a clinical social worker with the VA outpatient clinic in Coeur d’Alene, spoke to local veterans about in-home health care options.