Local shooting enthusiasts took aim at a highly valued target during the fourth annual Clay Shoot at Vero Beach Clay Shooting Sports – our veterans. While points were tallied for every “pigeon” hit, the real winners were the local veterans who served this great nation.

This year, 40 teams of men and women, ranging from beginners to experts, took their best shot to support the Veterans Council of Indian River County, raising about $70,000 to help fund its various programs and services, according to Cynthia Ryan, executive director.

After a safety briefing and a delicious breakfast by Wild Thyme Catering, who also provided lunch for the awards ceremony, shooters headed out for a beautiful morning on the range.

To cope with growing needs, Ryan said that over the past six months, the Veterans Council has begun to shift toward a case management style of direct aid, providing such programs and services as veteran outreach and advocacy, emergency financial assistance, providing access to resources, and assistance navigating Veterans Affairs.

“When a veteran comes in for assistance, we do an in-depth intake process to evaluate their needs to determine what services we can provide, and then we do a personalized after-action plan that connects them to all the other local resources that might be available to them, like United Against Poverty, Senior Resources and even county programs,” Ryan explained.

The goal is to create “all-encompassing support instead of just a singular agency supporting them so that they have that community of care,” added Ryan.

She said that many veterans are unaware that they are eligible for programs offered to the general public, so the Veterans Council currently coordinates with 130 other agencies.

“It’s doing that warm handoff instead of the veteran having to cold-call agencies or other nonprofits to see what they might be eligible for. We help with that prescreening process of exactly what organization to reach out to and to whom and what programs they might be eligible to receive services,” she said. She added that a lack of affordable housing and home repairs continue to be main requests for assistance from the Veterans Council.

It can also be daunting to navigate the Department of Veterans Affairs. As a result, Ryan said veterans often don’t register with the VA and are thus unaware they are eligible for benefits.

Others are unaware that they might be eligible for increased benefits due to a decline in their health or a disability.

The Veterans Council is now using their monthly general meetings as a place for veterans to voice their struggles. Now called the Veteran Town Hall, monthly guest speakers will talk about available programs and resources. For instance, last month’s speaker was the West Palm VA medical director, and veterans could share their experiences and concerns about the VA Medical Center directly with the director.

As the Veterans Memorial Island Bridge remains closed for repairs, the Veterans Day Ceremony hosted by the VCIRC will be held at 9 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the Gazebo at the north end of Riverside Park.

For more information, visit veteranscirc.com.

Photos by Joshua Kodis