Team members, from left, Marv Zumwalt, Ken Morris and Tiney Corbett.
The VVA 885 Benefits Team meets every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the chapter office, 801 Princess St.
Team members will assist and advise any veteran from any era and their widows or family members about veterans benefits.
Veteran service officers have experience in areas such as Agent Orange, Bluewater sailors, Camp Lejeune water, and burn pits.
Team members include three veteran service officers: Chairman Tiney Corbett; Ken Morris; and Tony Musolino, who has been counseling vets for 15-plus years.
Two other members are Marv Zumwalt, record keeper, and Donna Gonsalves, greeter at the office.
COVID forced the team to reduce the number of days members were in the office from two days a week in 2019 through February 2020 to the current one day a week as of March 2020.
Contacts, including initial contacts and subsequent claim development meetings, average about four per day.
From January through August 2022, the team handled 15 claims. Previous-year statistics: 445 contacts and 104 claims filed in 2019; 163 contacts and 65 claims filed in 2020 (workload reduced to one day a week in March); 48 contacts and 27 claims filed in 2021 (January-May).
The number of clients dropped off as other veterans agencies reopened benefits service units.
The team continued working through the COVID shutdown by using shields made by chapter member Sully Sullivan and requiring all clients to be vaccinated.
Free Benefits Assistance
As a Vietnam or Vietnam-era veteran, you are eligible for multiple benefits:
Q: How do I find out about my benefits?
A: Contact the VVA 885 office. Phone 910-762-4288 or email VVA885wilm@gmail.com.
Q: What is the chapter address?
A: Write to PO Box 4582, Wilmington, NC 28403, or visit 801 Princess St.
Wilmington, NC.
The VVA 885 Benefits Team meets every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the chapter office.
VVA Chapter 885 