On Thursday, the Troup County Board of Commissioners received an update on LaGrange Waypoint’s progress with helping local veterans.

Since Waypoint opened its doors in 2017, it has endeavored to help local veterans meet challenges ranging from getting to doctor appointments to filling out paperwork to finding a place to live. According to information discussed on Thursday, those services are just the beginning, with other major services already planned for local veterans.

“We are working closely with Judge [Jeannette] Little and Chief [Lou] Dekmar to establish a veterans’ court here, and what a veterans’ court does is. If there is a veteran who comes into the court system, we will be their case manager,” said Lanona Jones, the general manager of LaGrange Waypoint. “The courts and Waypoint will work closely with that veteran to overcome whatever obstacles were presented to them, so that they can be a reliable member of the community.”

Jones said that Waypoint is also coordinating with the LaGrange Housing Authority to give homeless veterans preference on housing through LHA through a Housing and Urban Development voucher program that takes advantage of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs funding. She said Waypoint is also working with local landlords to help get veterans off the street and into affordable housing. Additionally, she said that Waypoint and the LPD are working together to coordinate emergency housing for veterans.

Those services are in addition to services that the office has been providing since day one.

“The services that we provide mirror what the veterans administration provides,” Jones said. “We help veterans with disability claims, pension claims, education, emergency shelter, housing support and a whole lot of other things.”

Jones estimated that there are around 5,000 veterans in Troup County, and she said Waypoint hopes to reach out to those veterans and their families to inform them about services like transportation to appointments and case management.

LaGrange Waypoint is located at 1380 Lafayette Parkway in LaGrange, and there will be a meet and greet lunch for service members and veterans at the Waypoint office on May 22 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.