Gwyn Tarrence has been a member of the American Legion Post 5 in Aberdeen for more than 10 years — and commander for nearly as many — but only in the last few months did she learn about a county fund designed to support the basic needs of low-income veterans.

Now, as part of a new public health initiative, Grays Harbor County has tasked Tarrence with ensuring veterans have access to a state-mandated fund that, despite the county’s large veteran population, has gone largely untapped.

Public health officials and local veterans leaders believe many Grays Harbor veterans, like Tarrence, are either unaware of, or unable to access, for whatever reason, the county’s Veterans’ Relief Fund.

In the new pilot project, Tarrence will serve as the county’s “ombudsman” — a navigator or liaison — to veterans in Grays Harbor.

Should the pilot project prove successful at finding and connecting veterans to the fund, it could lead to a permanent ombud position, and, potentially, a change in the nature of the Veterans’ Relief Fund.

The idea for the pilot project came from the Grays Harbor County Veterans’ Advisory Board, which decided to launch the pilot project after its quarterly meeting in December 2022.

The Veterans’ Advisory Board — which consists of five veterans leaders from across the county along with county Commissioner Jill Warne — provides advice directly to the board of commissioners about service needs of local veterans.

Tarrence, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 1988 to 1991, attended the December veterans’ board meeting after learning about the relief fund.

“I thought, ‘well, I know a lot of veterans,’ so that’s why I ended up applying,” Tarrence said.

The Grays Harbor County Board of Commissioners at a February meeting approved a six-month public health contract with Tarrence for a maximum amount of $15,000.

Tarrence will become the go-to contact for veterans seeking assistance from the fund, said Wilma Weber, a community health specialist with Grays Harbor County Public Health. Previously, it was Weber’s job to administer claims from veterans and determine whether or not they were eligible for the fund. Weber said she would often get calls from veterans seeking services, who she would attempt to connect with their local post or service office.

“Sometimes they were able to connect, sometimes they weren’t,” Weber said. “We thought it would be beneficial to have a direct contact.”

Bill Wickwire, chair of the Veterans’ Advisory Board and quartermaster of the Elma VFW post, said veterans seeking service often get lost when trying to navigate the system. In addition, VFW posts are run by volunteers who might not be able to respond right away.

“If somebody is in dire need, he doesn’t want to be given a phone number that doesn’t reach, he wants to talk to somebody,” Wickwire said. “A lot of times, just having that person on the other end solves 90% of his anxiety.”

“One of the adjuncts that I personally see in the ombudsman is that they can follow up with the veteran,” said Mike Harris, vice-chair of the veterans’ board and member of the Ocean Shores VFW. “They can call and say ‘Did you get my referral to this particular resource?’ Whatever it might be: clothing, food, shelter.”

By state law, the Veterans’ Relief Fund can only be spent on basic resources such as those described by Harris. According to Weber, the fund acts as a “band-aid” and is a “fund of last resort and in no way can it be construed as a veterans’ benefit,” according to a Grays Harbor County Public Health website.

For example, Harris said, one veteran recently used the fund to pay for rising water and electricity bills after more people moved into his house because of a family incident.

To be eligible for the fund, veterans must have been honorably discharged, a resident of Grays Harbor County for at least six months, and have an income below 200% — or twice the amount — of the federal poverty level. That’s about $29,000 per year for a single person household, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

With hopes of allowing more people to qualify for the fund, Grays Harbor County Commissioners recently raised that threshold up from 150% percent.

While the state requires every county in Washington to establish a Veterans’ Relief Fund, it’s up to the county commissioners to determine details like income requirements.

Grays Harbor County levies the minimum amount of property tax — one and one-eighth cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.

But the number of veterans using the fund has been “fewer and fewer” in the last 5-10 years, according to Weber. Last year, nine veterans used the fund, and four have used it so far in 2023.

That’s left the county sitting on a current balance of $137,000, according to Commissioner Warne. Roughly another $10,700 will be levied into the fund in 2023.

“It’s actually been growing, and underutilized, so that’s why we want to get more help,” Warne said.

About 7,000 veterans live in Grays Harbor County, or 9% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

While not all of those 7,000 veterans are eligible, Tarrence, along with members of the veterans’ board, said they expect through the pilot project to discover a considerable number of people to be eligible for services.

“We know a lot of veterans in the community, and I hadn’t heard of this fund,” Tarrence said “We have a lot of people who come in (to the American Legion post) and they need help. I wish I would have known that this was there. I’m excited to help them now.”

Tarrence’s network of veterans should help with some of that outreach. Along with her work at the Aberdeen post, Tarrence has met with veterans at the Westport library for the last year and a half.

If veterans have needs beyond what the relief fund can provide, Tarrence will also be able to refer them to other services around the county. Tarrence will be the “hub of the wheel” in that regard, said veterans’ board member and Afghanistan veteran Reese Wade.

“When you get out of the service, especially when you’re new, you’re in a new world,” Wade said.

Veterans’ board members hope the project will shed more light on how many veterans are in need of the fund in Grays Harbor County. Tarrence’s contract will expire at the end of August, at which point the veterans’ board will assess results from the pilot project and, if necessary, advise the county commissioners on next steps.

“If we are utilizing it (the fund) better and need more funds, we have the authority to up that (tax rate), but there’s no point in upping it unless we’re actually using it,” Warne said.

Veterans seeking support can call Gwyn Tarrence at 360-660-2640.

Contact reporter Clayton Franke at 406-552-3917 or clayton.franke@thedailyworld.com.