Linn County Veterans Services moves into new office
ALBANY — Linn County Veterans Services has moved to a newly remodeled leased building at 505 SW Ellsworth St. (east of Enterprise Rental and north of the Democrat-Herald).
Veterans Services had been housed at 330 3rd Ave. SW for decades, according to Veterans Services Officer Dee Baley-Hyder. The move will allow Veterans Services to help more veterans get benefits owed them, Baley-Hyder said.
“When I started working here nine years ago, we had served about 5,000 veterans,” Baley-Hyder said. “We’ve helped more than, 9,500 now and we want to grow even more.”
Baley-Hyder is joined as a Veterans Services Officer by Rob McKibben and Office Specialists Jess Valenzuela and Eric Rice.
The county is hiring a new Veterans Services Officer to help with that outreach.
Veterans Services is quadrupling its space, going from about 600 square feet to nearly 2,400 square feet. Baley-Hyder points out that space includes a large conference room that can be used by any county office or department.
Veterans Services is closed this week for moving, but will open in the new office at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Office hours will remain the same, 8:30 a.m.-12-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
The phone number and email contacts remain the same. Phone: 541-967-3882; toll free 800-319-3882; FAX 541-928-3517.
Learn more about services provided at https://www.linncountyor.gov/vets.
Baley-Hyder said she is proud of the work she and her staff do, helping veterans with everything from accessing rides to medical appointments to qualifying for programs and funds due them.
“We are currently booked out six weeks,” Baley-Hyder said. “We want to be able to help our veterans when they walk into our office. This is something I have wanted for three years and now that it’s here, it is a bit nerve-wracking, but it will be worth it.”
Linn County Veterans Services has helped local veterans and their survivors collect more than $1 million since July of 2023.
Darrin Lane, Linn County Administrative Officer, noted, “The Linn County Commissioners have consistently demonstrated strong support for veterans services by dedicating financial resources above and beyond the normal requirements. Investing in this new office space will improve access for veterans and the addition of a third veterans services officer will significantly increase our capacity to provide services.”
Media contact: Alex Paul, Linn County Communications Officer, 541-967-3825 or email apaul@co.linn.or.us.
