KLEBERG COUNTY, Texas — Orlando Rosa is a retired sailor who served from 1990 to 2010. When he left active duty, he was lucky enough to learn about his resources through a transition assistance program, an exit program that the Navy had at the time.
But not every veteran gets to learn their resources fresh out of service.
“They don’t know where to start. Veterans do not like to ask for help, and sometimes when we do, it might be too late,” Kleberg County Veteran Service Officer Orlando Rosa said.
That’s where the idea behind the Veteran Resource Fair comes in. Last year was the first one.
“We had about 250 veterans, maybe even more,” Rosa said.
Precinct 3 County Commissioner and Vietnam Veteran Jerry Martinez attended last year’s inaugural event.
“It was a good turnout,” Martinez said.
Martinez said that when he and others left the military in the 1960s, they didn’t know what resources were available to them.
“I learned throughout the years. We did not know anything,” Martinez said.
He even learned a thing or two at the resource fair, and it’s been a life-changing experience ever since.
“My hearing was gone almost and I just got my hearing aids finally,” Martinez said.
But the fair isn’t just for veterans. Rosa and Martinez want to involve veterans families as well.
“We can’t do it without our families. Our families stood by us when we were in the service and this is just a way to help them understand what benefits are afforded to us and their family members,” Rosa said.
And they’ll have everything from financial to emotional to physical resources.
“We have some banks, loan offices to help veterans if they’re trying to buy a house or just get discounts," Rosa said. “We’ll have nursing homes, doctors, and sometimes offices will come out, as well as insurance companies."
There will be all kinds of vendors and resources available for families of veterans to plan not just for the present but for the future.
“We actually have Turcotte and Ramirez funeral homes,” Rosa said.
Even if a veteran knows their resources, they are constantly changing.
“There’s always something new as the military changes. The VA changes whether they are enhancing benefits, removing benefits, or adjusting benefits. It’s something you have to keep up with. There’s always different avenues; you just have to ask the right questions,” Rosa said.
Both Rosa and Martinez encourage veterans and family members to come out on that Saturday and ask as many questions as possible.
“If you have questions about your husband's benefits, daughters, sons, come and get those answers,” Rosa said.
“They had a benefit table there and many veterans would walk out of there saying ‘man I have this and that.’ They would come in lost and then hit every table and then come out with a great attitude,” Martinez said.
Sometimes, we show our thanks through our actions.
“A thank you is not enough. These resources are even better for them. Every veteran has to be thanked somehow,” Martinez said.
The Kleberg County Veteran Resource Fair is scheduled for Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the J.K. Northway Exposition Center. Organizers are still looking for more vendors to support or sponsor. Signing up for vendors is free. For more information on how to participate or even to show up and take advantage of all the free resources, visit https://klebergcountyveterans.org/resourcefair/.
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