SANDPOINT — Area veterans are invited to the Sandpoint Veterans of Foreign Wars post on Thursday, July 16, to help connect them with Veterans Affairs resources and services. The free event is open to veterans, their families, and community members.

Members of the Spokane VA team will be available to assist veterans with their needs and questions.

With more than 4,300 veterans in Bonner County, the primary purpose of the event is to educate veterans about today's VA, said Tom Lindley, Bonner County veteran service officer.

Lindley said many elderly veterans, especially those who served in the Vietnam War, did not have a positive experience with the VA upon returning from their service.

“When younger guys like me try to tell them that it’s changed, they’re hesitant to believe,” Lindley said.

Lindley hopes that the event will continue to dispel outdated perceptions of the VA and highlight its evolution instead.

“The more people that we can bring into the fold of VA healthcare and VA disability benefits, the more veteran lives we can positively impact,” said Lindley.

John Stoddard, Jr. vice commander of the Sandpoint VFW Post, said that the VA is "here to help."

"Things are different," said Stoddard of the current VA, "We have a lot more concerns about the veterans and the benefits that you earned while you were in service."

For younger veterans who are currently employed and don’t have the ability to drive 86 miles to the VA administration facility in Spokane, the event is an accessible opportunity for them to voice their concerns and speak with someone face-to-face.

Lindley spent roughly 30 years in the Air Force and said the event has directly helped him, making health care easier after learning how to "reap the greatest benefits from the system" for himself and his family. “There’s a human face behind the VA and not some evil entity that we all conjure up in our minds when we think of them,” Lindley said.

Lindley said the event also serves to give veterans an opportunity to connect with each other. “It’s easier to get involved once you see the people that are involved,” Lindley said.