Ribbon Cutting Celebrated for Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County

Expanded space will serve as the anchor for veteran service campus

Will County officials and the local veteran community celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County (VAC) office, representing a new “one-stop shop” for veteran services in the heart of Will County. The new space is located at the heart of the first unified Veteran Support Campus in Illinois.

“Today we’re not just celebrating a larger building - We’re celebrating a better way to serve veterans with the care and services they need and deserve,” said VAC President Larry Shaver. “Everything we do here is to make sure all our veterans are supported, respected, and never have to stand alone. This new location reflects the strong progress of this Commission, empowering us to reach more veterans, provide additional services, and strengthen the support we offer every day.”

The VAC has relocated from their previous leased location into the newly renovated County-owned building at 1300 Copperfield Avenue in Joliet, upgrading to a 16,000 square foot space from their approximately 4,300 square foot old office size. The expanded footprint will empower the VAC to expand services to Will County veterans and their families, including by hiring more veteran service officers, reducing appointment wait times, and increasing programmatic offerings. 

“This is a transformational improvement to veteran services in Will County, creating a new centralized campus and expanded space for assistance and support resources,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “I’m proud that we were able to work closely with the Veterans Assistance Commission team to create a space over triple the size of their previous office, with modern amenities that will empower them to provide the enhanced counseling, employment assistance, financial and housing support, mental health services, and community-centric care that our veterans deserve.”

Over 150 attendees at the ribbon cutting ceremony heard from Will County and VAC leadership on the impact of the expanded space. This included Tony Arrelano, a founding member of the VAC and Commander of the Joliet Veterans of Foreign Wars 367 and American Legion 1080, who shared how veteran services have expanded in the community in the 1993 years since the Commission was founded.

The event included a tour of the new assistance and support center, occupying the first two floors of the County-owned building. The new space includes welcoming counseling spaces, a food pantry for veterans, and a modern fitness center to support the VAC’s mental health and physical health wellness programs. The expanded footprint will allow the VAC to hire more veteran service officers, reduce appointment wait times, and expand programmatic offerings.

“This space exists for our veterans, offering a place of support, community, and opportunity,” said VAC Superintendent Jen Solum. “I want to thank the team of fierce veteran advocates in our office who deliver on our mission every day, the Commission members who continue to serve even after they’ve taken off the uniform, and our County Executive and County Board for making this expansion a reality.”

The VAC office joins both the Hines VA’s Joliet Community Based Outpatient Clinic and the Volunteers of America Illinois’ Hope Manor Housing at a new unified Veteran Support Campus, making it easier for veterans and their families to access wrap-around services. The renovated building also houses the Workforce Center of Will County, offering free employment services to Will County residents and businesses in a centralized location.

“I am proud that we are opening the doors to a building that will provide necessary services to the men and women who have proudly served our great nation,” said Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne. “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 acquired the building at 1300 Copperfield Avenue in February 2021 and budgeted funds to retrofit the first two floors to serve as the home of the VAC. The building was originally constructed in 2003 and served as a medical office building connected to the former Silver Cross Hospital. Building modernizations included customized office space for the VAC and Workforce Center of Will County, improved accessibility, upgraded technology and security infrastructure, and installation of a new roof and critical building systems.

“This project is an investment that reflects not just growth, but also our commitment to support our nation’s heroes,” said Will County Capital Improvements Committee Chair Mica Freeman. “This facility represents what responsible, effective government should look like—strategic investment, strong stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and a commitment to those who have given so much on our behalf. It sets a standard that I believe will serve as a model for communities across the country.”