WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded a grant of $3.7 million to the state of Wisconsin on June 8, 2005, to renovate the food service facility at the state nursing home in King.
"This grant honors our commitment to care for the men and women who have served in uniform," said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “Our federal-state partnership will provide a comfortable home for Wisconsin’s veterans in a time of personal need.”
The $3.7 million grant will pay up to 65 percent of the cost to renovate the food service facility in King. Overall cost of the project is estimated at $5.8 million.
VA’s State Home Program is a partnership with the states to acquire, construct or renovate nursing homes, domiciliaries and adult day health care facilities for veterans. When construction is complete and inspections are satisfactory, the facilities qualify for per diem payments from VA; however, the states own and operate the homes.
Wisconsin also operates a veterans home in Union Grove. The homes are available to veterans who served on active duty for two or more years or the full period of their initial service obligation, whichever is less. Veterans must have lived in Wisconsin for 12 consecutive months and have honorable discharges or they must have been a Wisconsin resident at the time of entry into military service.
In fiscal year 2004, VA spent over $1.1 billion in Wisconsin to serve more than 474,000 veterans who live in the state. VA operates major medical centers in Madison, Milwaukee and Tomah with outpatient clinics and Vet Centers in many locations. VA health care was provided to 102,091 people in Wisconsin during 2004.
