Hundreds of veterans from across the western Upper Peninsula gathered at the fourth annual Houghton County Vet Fest resource fair Wednesday, connecting with more than 90 organizations and programs dedicated to supporting the veteran community.
Among the resources available at the event was the Houghton County Clerk’s Office, where Clerk Jen Kelly has spent the past three years meeting veterans, helping them enroll in fraud protection programs and listening to their stories.
Kelly says the property fraud alert program — available at no cost to veterans — has drawn strong interest at the event.
“We have near 300 signed up so far. I’d love to see every veteran signed up,” Kelly said. “We help them if they have their DD-214 with my office. I’ve stopped charging our veterans now to get certified copies. We help get them signed up for the veteran program with the property fraud alert — and we try to give them some candy and say ‘Thank you.’”
Kelly says her favorite part of Vet Fest goes beyond the paperwork. The conversations, the stories and the humor veterans bring to the event create an atmosphere that is as enjoyable as it is productive.
More information about property fraud and veteran fraud alert programs in Houghton County is available online.
