CARROLLTON -- Carroll County Veterans Helping Veterans building influence in taking the organization to the next level was the topic at the Tuesday night monthly meeting. Pascagoula Mayor Dane Maxwell who serves on the White House Political Affairs Team and is a veteran himself was the guest speaker. Maxwell discussed dealing with bureaucracy on the Federal level and the strength in numbers that the organization has acquired.
“I want to use my influence with the White House to bring people in to move this group to the next level.” Maxwell said.
This includes raising money, expanding facilities to where veterans and their families can come and explain their situations. Veterans Helping Veterans Vice President Ben Shute explained the group has now rented office space for the organization. The headquarters will be at 706 Lexington Street in Carrollton where The Conservative newspaper office began. Shute said the Veterans Helping Veterans is renting the building from the Carroll County Antiquities Society.
Maxwell along with Kirk Thompson of Redshift Strategies who helps cities acquire funding said they are going to look at what funding is available to remodel the office on Lexington Street for a Veterans headquarters.
Shute took Maxwell and Thompson on a tour of the location of the building and the historic aspects of Carrollton after the meeting. The voice of Veterans is an aim of the organization, there were testimonies given at the meeting. Ranging from where a Veteran had an appeal going for ten years to get benefits then after this organization got involved he got his benefits in thirty days.
There was another Carroll County Veteran who got help with his medicine that saved thousands of dollars a month. Maxwell told the group that the results going on in Carroll County is an example for more counties to get involved in forming organizations like this throughout Mississippi. “Together with the show of force, this concept should tell the story.” Maxwell said he would like to gather information on the names, rank, and help veterans have received benefits in Carroll County, and give to the White House these success stories in brining attention to the organization.
Maxwell’s connections with the Trump Administration and helping to tell the story of this organization will help the organization grow in many aspects.
“Quality of the rest of your life,” said Veterans helping Veterans President Johnny Marlow to those in attendance about the Veterans group.
This effort to bring that quality to Veterans is set to receive national attention with Maxwell for the benefit of those who have served our country and their families.
