The Will County Veterans Assistance Commission opened its new support center Wednesday to offer a one-stop shop for veteran services in a campus-like setting.
Will County announced plans in 2024 to renovate a former medical professional building at 1300 Copperfield Ave., Joliet, to allow for the Veterans Assistance Commission to move out of its cramped location and expand its services.
Renovations cost about $3.5 million and came in on time and under budget, said Mica Freeman, a Democratic County Board member from Plainfield, who chairs the board’s Capital Improvements Committee.
Freeman said the building will strengthen the community and serve residents for years.
“It’s an investment that reflects not just growth, but also our commitment to support our nation’s heroes,” Freeman said. “It’s a promise that Will County stands with its veterans — not just in words, but in action.”
The campus gives the Veterans Assistance Commission more space to help both veterans and their families, said Jen Solum, the commission’s superintendent.
Veteran service officers can help veterans work with both state and federal agencies so they can get the help they need and file service-connected disability claims and pension claims, Solum said. The new facility will reduce wait times and reach more veterans, she said.
The commission also places a strong emphasis on mental health services and combat veteran counseling for veterans and their families, she said.
“We recognize that in order for a veteran to succeed, they need a strong support system,” Solum said.
The building includes a food pantry with fresh produce and beef and offers an onsite fitness center, Solum said. Veterans can receive financial counseling or financial assistance, and the commission will help those with mobility issues with transportation so they can reach their doctor’s appointments. The commission also runs a homeless prevention program, and it works with widows of veterans, Solum said.
Moving the commission to the former medical facility offers veterans a chance to get their needs met in one centralized hub. Next door is the Hines VA Joliet Community Based Outpatient Clinic and the Volunteers of America Illinois Hope Manor Housing, one of the first large-scale supportive housing developments specifically designed for veterans with families.
“I’m not passing you off to somebody,” Solum said. “You are here and we are going to get the situation resolved while you are here. We want to meet the veterans where they are.”
The Workforce Center of Will County, which offers employer and job-seeker services, moved into the same county-owned building last month.
“I can’t think of two agencies better suited to share one roof in the service of our community,” said Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat. “The purchase and rehabilitation of this building delivers on a bipartisan vision by Will County’s leadership to assist our veterans by creating a unified campus — a one-stop shop for these essential services.”
Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said the county has more than 26,000 veterans and demand for services has been rising.
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The new building more than triples the size of the Veterans Assistance Commission’s previous location on Glenwood Avenue in Joliet while offering modern amenities, she said.
The construction project retrofitted the first two floors of the four-story building and provides a chance to expand services in the future.
Larry Shaver, president of the Veterans Assistance Commission, said the new space isn’t just a larger building, but a better way to serve the veterans of Will County.
Solum agreed.
“It is a way of saying their service is seen, their sacrifices matter and their well-being is our responsibility,” Solum said. “This space is for our veterans, a place of support, community and opportunity.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter.