Feeding South Dakota and the Sanborn County Food Pantry want to inform Sanborn County residents that the Food Giveaway will be held at the Santel west garage (south of the Santel building) on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 4:30 p.m. (until gone). A drive through format will be utilized. Each family is allowed one box only. For any questions call 796-4516.

The Food Giveaway provides free food to families in need. The free food includes assorted frozen and fresh produce, frozen meats, assorted breads, and assorted canned and boxed items.

Feeding South Dakota is a statewide organization with locations in Pierre, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. Their mission is to eliminate hunger in South Dakota. For more information or to donate to support food giveaways, please visit feedingsouthdakota.org.

Sanborn County has hired Craig Bennett to take over the position of Sanborn County Veterans Service Officer. Bennett is currently the Davison County Veterans Services Officer, and he will remain in that position as well.

With 22 years of military service in the United States Navy, Bennett is very familiar with services that veterans may need and are entitled to for serving the country. One of those benefits deals with veterans’ health benefits and their care in their community. There is a home-based primary care provider who is employed through Veterans Affairs who will do home visits for eligible veterans.

Bennett also works with veterans and their compensation and pension benefits. The compensation side of things deals with service-connected issues, such as things that occurred during a veteran’s active duty. One such issue is what is now known as a Blue-Water Vietnam vet benefit. Any veteran who served within 12 miles of Vietnam could be eligible for the agent orange benefits now.

Bennett also works with the pension program that is available for war-time veterans, their spouses, or widows/widowers. He also helps with burial benefits. He orders the markers for the burial site, and he helps with financial burial benefits if the veteran is eligible.

An important service that Bennett provides through his office is a transportation service for any veteran who needs a ride to the VA Hospital in Sioux Falls. He only asks for at least a three-day notice, and the veteran has to get their own ride to and from Mitchell. 

…Read on and see a photo in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!