The new Veterans Outreach Center of Boundary County aims to support local veterans and their families through a variety of programs, including suicide prevention efforts, resource coordination and community outreach. 

“Our number one goal is suicide prevention intervention,” said Ben Apo, VOC chairman. 

Apo explained that the suicide prevention help and hotline is not limited to veterans but is available to anyone who might need assistance or to those who know someone who may need help but may not know how to approach them.  

“It’s not just for veterans, but for the entire county, the entire community, for anyone who needs help,” he said.  

The other mission of the VOC is outreach to all veterans in the county.  

“Any veterans in this county who are alone or need something, whether it’s medical, food, or if they just need someone to talk to, we want to reach out to every veteran out there and make sure they know they aren’t alone,” he said.  

The outreach center is also available for anyone who knows someone who might be struggling in some way, and for family members as well.  

The idea to open a VOC in Boundary County began back in October 2024. Apo said that with the help and guidance of Hank Thorton, who runs the St. Maries facility, the idea was able to come to fruition.  

The Veterans Outreach Center is different from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in a variety of ways. The VA is a federal agency that provides benefits such as health care, disability compensation and education assistance. In contrast, the Veterans Outreach Center of Boundary County operates at the local level, focusing on suicide prevention, mental health support and connecting veterans with community resources. It also assists individuals in navigating the VA system, offering a more accessible, personalized approach to addressing the needs of veterans and their families. 

The goal of the VOC for the first year is to establish a brick-and-mortar building and to continue getting the word out about the organization.  

For now, the VOC has a weekly coffee meeting on Fridays beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Chic-n-Chop. The meeting is for any veteran or their family members who want to attend.  

“This is our opportunity for veterans in the area to come out and talk with other veterans,” said Apo.  

Apo said that so far, the feedback about the VOC has been completely positive. 

The organization is community supported. The VOC has no plans for fundraising directly for the program. At the moment, resources are through volunteer work and donations.   

Above all, the message the Veterans Outreach Center hopes to share is that help is available to those in need.  

“We are here, and we want to reach out,” said Apo. 

His wife and fellow volunteer, Kari Apo, agreed.  

“We want to offer hope and purpose,” she said.