DETROIT (WXYZ) — A program intended to help Wayne County veterans purchase groceries has abruptly ended, leaving many veterans frustrated after making trips to the county office in Detroit.
Veterans were told they could receive a $200 Meijer gift card between July 7 and Aug. 30, with distribution organized alphabetically by last name on specific days.
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"The economy is tough on all of us. We live payday to payday, so a couple hundred dollars extra for groceries would obviously help us," said Don St. Amant, a Marine Corps and Vietnam veteran.
St. Amant was one of only 32 scout dog handlers in Vietnam. Even after being injured, he volunteered to return to service.
"There was need, and that's kind of a Marine Corps motto," St. Amant said.
Wayne County's Health, Human, and Veteran Services had distributed fliers instructing veterans to bring their ID and discharge papers on their scheduled day.
He visited the Veteran Service Office on Wednesday, Aug. 13, but left without a gift card.
"And to find out nobody from management is there, nobody with any responsibilities were there. While we were down there, we ran into at least 30 other people who were coming in for the same reason," St. Amant said.
Another veteran from Wyandotte reported that when the program began on July 7, the county was distributing $200 gift cards then reduced the amount to $100 due to the demand before completely running out.
St. Amant expressed frustration about the lack of communication from the county.
"If you've been down to downtown Detroit — parking is not cheap. You have to find a place to park and find your way over to Monroe Street, which is all under construction at this time. So yeah, it was a pain and took a couple hours out of our day," St. Amant said.
When contacted, Wayne County provided this statement:
"Supporting our veterans is a top priority for Wayne County. This year, we distributed 2,000 Meijer Gift Cards, up from 750 last year. The overwhelming interest quickly depleted our gift card supply. We are actively working to secure additional gift cards and find more efficient ways to distribute them when they become available," said Kennyle Johnson, Interim Director of the Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services.
Signs are now posted around the Veteran Service Office in Detroit informing veterans that the program has ended and directing them to call Forgotten Harvest if they need further assistance.
"There's a lot of need out there for veterans. There's more need than what there is help," St. Amant said.
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