Area 5 of 8 · Commitments 5.1–5.5
Our Elders and Veterans
They shouldn't feel forgotten in a city they built.
The problem
People who spent their lives working, raising us, and holding these churches and schools together should not feel forgotten in the town they built. Veterans shouldn't have to navigate the VA alone. And isolation here is something we don't talk about.
What the city actually controls
Communication, community space, programming, and whether these groups get treated as partners or as a photo opportunity.
Most of what our veterans are owed goes unclaimed because the paperwork is the barrier, not the eligibility.
The commitments
5.1 – 5.5
All of them say what gets done, how, and when, with a label saying who has to agree and, where it applies, something countable you can hold me to.
5.1
Help our Veterans Get What They've Earned
One person at the city a veteran can call, and one page that connects local veterans to benefits, healthcare enrollment, housing programs, and the Georgia Department of Veterans Service office that serves this region. A veteran shouldn't have to drive to another town just to ask a question about a claim, so once a year the city hosts a visit from the VA office right here. And the city keeps standing behind the veterans ceremonies we already hold every year.
- Hold me to this
- Contact person and page published within six months. First VA visit hosted by year two, then every year. City support for the annual ceremonies starts right away.
First yearNeeds a partner5.2
A City Update That Reaches Everybody
One printed page mailed with the water bill — it already reaches every household at no extra postage. Copies at the churches, the ag center, and City Hall. The residents most affected by city decisions are often the least likely to hear about them online.
- Hold me to this
- Operating within the first year, every month after that.
First yearNeeds a council vote5.3
Somewhere to Be, not Just Somewhere to Live
Regular programming at the community center — meals, cards, health screenings, exercise appropriate for older bodies, plus the walking path. Partner with the churches, who already know who's shut in.
- Hold me to this
- A published monthly calendar within two years.
Years 2–4Needs a partner5.4
Veterans Mentoring our Young People
Recruit them into the youth resource center. Costs nothing and serves both groups at once. Their discipline and leadership are exactly what our young people need to see up close.
- Hold me to this
- At least three veterans placed as mentors within two years.
Years 2–4Needs a partner5.5
Help Older Folks Keep the Homes They Own
Georgia gives older homeowners and disabled veterans property tax exemptions, and a lot of folks here never file because nobody told them or the form got in the way. And a ramp, a grab bar, or a roof patch is often the only thing standing between an older person and leaving a house they paid off. USDA already funds home repair for low-income homeowners over 62. Sit down with the county tax office to find out exactly what our residents qualify for, hold sign-up sessions at the churches for both the tax breaks and the repair help, walk people through the paperwork, and line up the churches for the small jobs.
- Hold me to this
- At least two sign-up sessions a year, before the tax filing deadline, with every applicant helped through the paperwork.
First yearNeeds a partner
65 commitments across 8 areas.