Witham Auto Helps Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs Office [PHOTOS]

The Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs Office has received a special donation for its cause, thanks to Witham Auto Centers.

The Veterans Affairs team works very hard to help all veterans and their dependents with a variety of things, including assistance with relief funds, filling out forms for Federal VA benefits and even transportation.

Transportation has been one of the biggest challenges. Kevin Dill, Director of the Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs, has encountered several challenges in his effort to help local Veterans get to meetings with their special transportation needs.

That mission to help was realized when Witham Auto Centers presented the Black Hawk County Veterans Affairs Office with a 2016 Ford passenger van. The vehicle was formally donated on Thursday (March 23, 2017).

"There's a number of veterans -- and I was surprised by how many -- who just have such restrictions on access to where they need to go," said Dill, following an event hosted by Witham's Waterloo dealership. "Whether it's going to the V.A. clinic in Waterloo for their doctor's appointment, getting to their job interview or getting to school, it's very restrictive for our veterans. So, this (van) is a godsend. This is a blessing."

Earlier, in a press release in an advance of the donation, Dill stated: “Veterans needing transportation that falls outside of the bus routes and hours of service have been grounded. My goal has been to provide Veterans with safe and reliable transportation when and where needed.”

The donation resulted from a meeting Dill had with Cedar Falls Mayor Jim Brown. Dill explained the gaps in the transportation services and the problems it was creating for local Veterans served through his office.

Mayor Brown pledged to help rectify the issue. After a phone call to Witham Auto Centers, dealership owners Jeremy Witham, Jason Witham, and Tim Godfrey, met privately to discuss how to address this pressing need. Godfrey, a Marine and Desert Storm Veteran, felt that the County office needed a new passenger van.

Godfrey said, “Until we heard from Kevin Dill, we had no idea how difficult life has become for some area Veterans. Contributing a vehicle is a privilege and an honor for our entire Witham Auto family.”

Godfrey also thanked Chris Mudd, President of Mudd Advertising, for donating the full vehicle decal wrap promoting services to the county's veterans.

Since being named director 15 months ago, Dill has raised the profile of the Veterans Affairs Office. He has involved the Board of Commissioners in various community collaborations. This past January, Townsquare Media Waterloo (K985.com, KCRR.com, Q923.net, and KOEL.com) helped raise $2,000 during Bucky Doren's 'Annual Charity Barn Dance'.

Special Thanks To Co-Contributor Elwin Huffman