Page 18 - Flathead Beacon // 6.11.14

18 | JUNE 11, 2014 COVER
FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Roy Kidder, left, and Bill Forcier organize donations at Northwest Montana Veteran’s Food Pantry.
GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON

T
during the Vietnam War.
he future of the VA system is MONTANA VETERAN have not been getting the care they
Erickson continued life after en-
now a main topic of conversa- deserve from the current system that
listment, settling in the Flathead tion in Congress.
POPULATION, 2013:
is bogged down by bureaucracy and a

Valley with his wife, Linda, and rais- Upon Shinseki’s resignation, failure of leadership.”
77,175
WARTIME VETERANS
ing their children. They started the Montana’s congressional delegation The Restoring Veterans’ Trust
Northwest Montana Veterans Stand sent out indignant statements about Act is one step toward getting the VA U.S.
Down and Food Pantry in their back- the treatment of veterans. Sen. John in order, Tester said, and he expects VIETNAM ERA
yard, and it eventually expanded to its Walsh, a National Guard veteran, more resources for the agency, in- 34,478
current building in 2011.
said deep changes are needed in the cluding student loan forgiveness for VETERAN
The new goal is a 50-unit housing future, but there are also issues that future staf.
KOREAN CONFLICT
9,613
development for homeless veterans, need to be dealt with now.
As far as Erickson is concerned, STATS
Erickson said, where they would have “We need to make sweeping the change needs to come from the
a familiar cohort and access to veter- changes to the VA to strengthen ser- White House, but he doesn’t expect it WORLD WAR II
4,275
an assistance, including — and espe- vices for the long term, but this is an from the current administration.
cially — mental health programs.
immediate step to address the urgent At the Veterans Food Pantry, poli-
Erickson’s lymphoma was dor- issue of a growing backlog and in- tics are set aside, along with religious INFO VIA THE U.S. PEACETIME
mant for several years, but has come creased waiting periods,” Walsh said. diferences or any other outside factor 24,422
back. He visits the VA outpatient clin- “We must live up to the promises we that could detract from taking care of DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS FEMALE
ic in Spokane 12 to 14 times a year for made to our veterans when they an- the veterans.
AFFAIRS
9,174
treatment, and has chosen to forgo swered the call of duty.”
Erickson, along with a service of-
chemotherapy because he’s seen how Walsh also announced June 9 that icer, try to get the veterans they meet
it afects a body and doesn’t want to be he is seeking to start the Commission the help they need to move on in their VETERAN 92,422
MALE
bedridden.
for Care, which would “conduct an in- lives. That is the goal, and that’s what
He’s too busy to be stuck in bed, dependent, bipartisan topline review needs to be happening despite poli- POPULATION
he said, and there’s more to do. The of the nation’s VA facilities and pro- tics, he said.
IN 2013:
pantry recently received a $26,000 vide in-depth recommendations to “We’re here to help each other,” FLATHEAD COUNTY
to install a walk-in refrigerator, and Congress and the President for imme- Erickson said.
VETERAN POPULATION
summer is a busy time. There aren’t diate action and legislation needed to Food donations are always need- MONTANA 101,597
enough volunteers, he said, and address the failings of the VA.”
ed at the Northwest Montana Veter-
there’s not enough funding to hire on Rep. Steve Daines said Shinseki’s ans Food Pantry, located at 1349 U.S. 2010: 9,558
permanent employees.
resignation is the irst step toward Highway 2 E. in Evergreen, and any- 2011: 9,438
more accountability in the VA system.
one willing to volunteer their time
“We’ve asked a lot of our veter- can call 406-756-7304 or visit www. UNITED STATES
2012: 9,383 21,972,964

ans, and owe a great deal to them in veteransfoodpantry.org.
2013: 9,321
return,” Daines said. “They simply
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