Washington State law and the Kitsap County code have established the Veterans Assistance Fund as a steady source of tax dollars to be utilized for the needs of indigent veterans and their families.  A portion of property tax collected in Kitsap County is earmarked for the VAF.  The overall goal is to assist all veterans-in-the-need back into mainstream society by ensuring they understand all the programs available to them.  ####Temporary emergency assistance is available for:   - Rental and mortgage assistance  - Energy or utilities assistance  - Food assistance  - Auto repair  - Appliance repair  - Clothing

Kitsap County Veterans Relief and Assistance Fund offered at Bainbridge Island Helpline House

Assists in need veterans and their families by providing financial cash grants. Grants are to be used for needs such as: food, rent, utilities, transportation, medical expenses, burial/cremation, home/appliance/auto repairs, and clothing.

Programs that provide cash, vouchers or other forms of monetary aid for people in need of assistance and evaluate the individual's or family's need for the money on a case-by-case basis rather than having pre-established policies regarding the types of needs the dollars can be used to cover.

Undesignated Temporary Financial Assistance

Public or private organizations like the USO that provide adjunctive supportive services for military personnel throughout the world which may include information, opportunities for recreation and socialization, entertainment, emergency leave assistance, lost baggage assistance, travel information, visa and passport assistance and rest facilities for individuals in transit.

Social Services for Military Personnel

Programs that provide cash or tokens for individuals who have no personal means of transportation and are unable to use public transportation (or a taxi service) for necessary local travel without assistance with the fare. Also included are programs that provide bus fare for people who need to travel out of town (e.g., for a funeral) but do not have the means to do so.

Bus Fare

Programs that provide cash grants or loans for people who are in the process of acquiring rental housing and who can handle the monthly rental payments, but who do not have the assets to pay the first month's rent, in some cases, the last month's rent, and any security deposits required to move in.

Rental Deposit Assistance

Programs that make mortgage payments for people who are at risk of losing their homes without assistance. Mortgage payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements. Some of these programs may also provide assistance for people who have a mobile home sales contract or land contract and need help making a payment that is due. Land contracts are written legal agreements that are used to purchase real estate (e.g., vacant land), a house, an apartment building, a commercial building or other real property but are negotiated with the property owner rather than borrowing money from a bank or other lender.

Mortgage Payment Assistance

Programs that pay all or a portion of the telephone expenses of people whose telephone service has been or is at risk of being disconnected including any reconnection fees that may apply. Also included are programs that help qualified low-income consumers connect or hook up to the telephone network by paying a portion of the hook-up fee or encourage telephone companies to offer a deferred payment schedule for hook-up charges. Telephone service payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Telephone Service Payment Assistance

A program of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs that provides a variety of burial benefits for eligible deceased veterans of peacetime or wartime service who have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and, in the case of some benefits, for their dependents.  Included are burial in a national cemetery (opening and closing the grave, headstones and markers and perpetual care); headstones and markers for graves of veterans that are located anywhere in the world as well as niche markers for urns; headstones or markers for memorial plots in situations where the veteran's remains are not available for burial; Presidential Memorial Certificates; and burial flags which drape the veteran's coffin and are given to the next of kin or close associate following the funeral.  Burial and funeral allowances are also available to certain veterans under specified conditions.

Veteran Burial Benefits

Programs that provide financial assistance to help people pay for a copy of their educational transcripts in situations where they cannot otherwise afford them.

Academic Records Fee Payment Assistance

Programs that pay all or a portion of the home heating fuel expenses of people who are unable to purchase the resources to heat their homes without assistance. Also included are non-emergency programs like those funded through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), also referred to as LIEAP or HEAP in some states, that provide home energy assistance for low-income households that apply, usually once per calendar year; and programs that pay for firewood, propane, butane, kerosene, coal or other bulk fuels that are used for heating or cooking purposes in situations where people have no other means of acquiring them. Heating fuel payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Heating Fuel Payment Assistance

Programs that provide financial assistance to help families who have lost a loved one pay for the funeral and/or the cremation or interment of the individual's remains.

Burial/Cremation Expense Assistance

Programs that provide money or vouchers to purchase gasoline, most frequently for individuals who need their automobile for necessary local or out-of-town travel but cannot afford to run their vehicle without assistance, but occasionally for people driving through the local area who have become stranded.

Gas Money

Programs that provide benefits screening services which help individuals determine whether they are eligible for benefits through any of a wide variety of public and private federal, state and local programs. In addition to identifying the programs that a person may be eligible to receive, the service generally also provides a detailed description of the programs, local contacts for additional information (typically the addresses and phone numbers of where to apply for the programs), and materials to help successfully apply for each program. Included are programs that provide this service online and those that do benefits screening via the telephone or in-person. Some benefits screening programs may focus on specific populations such as older adults and people with disabilities; or specific aspects of benefits eligibility such as the impact that working will have on their benefits as an aid to helping people make informed decisions regarding whether to work. Also included are programs that help people complete the benefits screening form.

Benefits Screening

Programs that make rental payments for people who are at risk of eviction without assistance. Also included are rent supplement programs that provide assistance with ongoing monthly rental costs. Rent payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Rent Payment Assistance

Programs that pay all or a portion of the electric service expenses of people whose electricity has been or is at risk of being shut off including any reconnection fees that may apply. Also included are non-emergency programs like those funded through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), also referred to as LIEAP or HEAP in some states, that provide home energy assistance, generally in the form of a credit, for low-income households that apply. The assistance is usually available once per calendar year (or heating season). Electric service payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Electric Service Payment Assistance

Programs that provide financial assistance to purchase necessary prescription drugs for people who would be in an emergency situation without assistance. Also included are programs that reimburse individuals for their prescription expenses, usually on an annual basis. Prescription expense assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Prescription Expense Assistance

Programs that provide assistance for people who are moving from one residence to another or who are moving their homes from one location to another.

Moving Services

Programs operated by organizations such as the American Red Cross that help military personnel stay in touch with their families following the birth of a child, the death or serious illness of a family member or other family emergency.

Armed Forces Emergency Services

Programs that pay all or a portion of the gas service expenses of people whose gas has been or is at risk of being shut off including any reconnection fees that may apply. Also included are non-emergency programs like those funded through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), also referred to as LIEAP or HEAP in some states, that provide home energy assistance, generally in the form of a credit, for low-income households that apply. The assistance is usually available once per calendar year (or heating season). Gas service payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Gas Service Payment Assistance

Programs that pay all or a portion of the water service expenses of people whose water has been or is as risk of being shut off including any reconnection fees that may apply. Included are programs that provide assistance with combined water/sewer bills in communities where sewer payments are bundled with payments for water services. Water service payment assistance programs may have age, income, disability, need or other eligibility requirements.

Water Service Payment Assistance

Washington State law and the Kitsap County code have established the Veterans Assistance Fund as a steady source of tax dollars to be utilized for the needs of indigent veterans and their families.  A portion of property tax collected in Kitsap County is earmarked for the VAF.  The overall goal is to assist all veterans-in-the-need back into mainstream society by ensuring they understand all the programs available to them.  Temporary emergency assistance is available for:   Rental and mortgage assistance   Energy or utilities assistance   Food assistance   Transportation assistance   Medical and prescription coverage   Burial or cremation assistance   Auto repair   Appliance repair   Clothing

Veterans Assistance Relief Fund offered at American Legion Poulsbo Post 245 Veteran's Service Office

Assist with filing for VA disability and benefits. As well, by providing financial cash grants. Grants are for needs such as: food, rent, utilities, transportation, medical expenses, burial/cremation, home/appliance/auto repairs, and clothing.

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Kitsap County Veterans Relief and Assistance Fund offered at Bainbridge Island Helpline House

Veterans Assistance Relief Fund offered at American Legion Poulsbo Post 245 Veteran's Service Office