The Veterans Advisory Fund provides emergency services to indigent veterans, their dependents, widows, widowers, and/or orphans. The Veterans Advisory Board provides timely service to eligible individuals when assistance from other agencies is considered inappropriate or time requirements are constrained.

It is estimated that San Juan County (SJC) has approximately 2,500 veterans, for whom the SJC Veterans Assistance Fund (VAF) has been in existence for several years. The San Juan County Council has agreed that services to Veterans shall be provided by the San Juan County Veterans’ Advisory Board, established in November, 2007 by Ordinance 46-2007.

Prior to this agreement, services were available through recommendation and approval by a San Juan County American Legion Post, with payment for services issuing from the San Juan County Auditor. The Veterans’ Advisory Board (VAB) consists of 9 members appointed by the San Juan County Council for 2 year terms, from January 1, through December 31.

Members of the Veterans Advisory Board  must be current residents of San Juan County and must be honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. military, selected from among the San Juan County Veterans’ community, and will represent as wide an array of military service as possible. B. Primary Functions