Eloise Ogden/MDN Sgt. Tara Loomer, a member of the North Dakota Army National Guard, poses with two residents of The Wellington in Minot, Ray Curtis, left, and Gerald Donelenko, after presenting them with ND Cares coins on Feb. 11. Curtis, a World War II veteran, was celebrating his 103rd birthday that day.

Kelli Weiand, military outreach specialist, with the North Dakota Military Outreach Program, travels across the northern half of North Dakota to meet with veterans and their families to assist them with resources.

Based at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Minot, Weiand is one of two military outreach specialists for the N.D. Military Outreach Program. Nikki Frohlich, based in Bismarck, covers the southern half of the state.

The N.D. Military Outreach Program is a state program designed to assist military veterans, past and present service members, and their families in finding resources, services and benefits to meet their needs.

Weiand said the intent of the program is to go out into communities and connect with veteran service members and their family members, and find out what their needs are and try to connect them with resources, whether it be locally, statewide or even national.

“We do a lot of traveling, we attend a lot of events. We try to get into rural areas and find people who aren’t connected with resources,” Weiand said.

“We help with any issue. We try to connect them with the VA (Veterans Administration) if needed to get benefits and file a claim,” she added.

She said they also work to connect military veterans and their families with information and resources in other areas such as financial, employment, etc.

“We go out and find what the needs are and try to connect them with the right person that can help them,” she said.

From 2000 to present, Weiand has had 9,666 contacts as a military outreach specialist. The top 10 issues have included ID cards (drivers license V), homeless housing VA benefits, mental health, financial, Tricare, suicide and medical.

Weiand said the main way the program reaches contacts is through community outreach or traveling in the designated area and meeting individuals. She said the second major way to contact veterans and their families is through event booths.

“I get a lot of clients from simply going out and hanging flyers in rural communities so when I travel I try to stop at gas stations or malls or clinics or wherever I can put up some information,” she said.

The N.D. Military Outreach Program has been in existence for a number of years. Formerly the program was under the umbrella of the National Guard.

When then Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed an executive order establishing the ND Cares Coalition in January 2015, the N.D. Military Outreach Program moved under ND Cares which supports N.D. service members, veterans, families and survivors.

“It is another way we can support communities because under ND Cares our communities are set up doing different events and helping veterans in the community. We are a link between ND Cares and the communities to try to add additional support,” Weiand said.

There is no cost for assistance from the North Dakota Military Outreach Program.

Another part of the military outreach specialists’ work is setting up community events.

This fall will be the ninth annual Veterans Stand Down held at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Minot.

The Veterans Stand Down has grown extensively over the years along with its support through service organizations and sponsors, Weiand said.

She said the event started with about 70 veterans attending and has grown to 192 veterans/service members along with guests at the 2019 event. Veterans/service members with service in Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force attended, ranging from service during the 1940s to current and included 173 men and 19 women, and 100 individuals who served in a combat zone. There were 47 booths at the 2019 event.

Stand Down Planning Committee members include:

– Kelli Weiand, N.D. Military Outreach

– Gary Siewert, Family Assistance Center N.D. National Guard

– Ric Gutierrez, Minot Vet Center

– Andy Heitkamp, Minot State University Veterans director

– Mac McLeod, Minot Area Homeless Coalition

– DiNell Hall, VA HUD/VASH

– Orleen Orem, Community Action SSVF

– Dale Braun, retired Ward County Veterans Service officer

The next Stand Down will again be held in October.

“I just feel really lucky because in Minot we have a very strong group of individuals that work very well together. We all collaborate together so well to help our veterans. Honestly, they come first,” Weiand said.