Will County officials announced on Apr. 2 the opening of a new office for the Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County, marking an expansion in services and facilities for local veterans. The new location is situated at 1300 Copperfield Avenue in Joliet and forms part of Illinois’ first unified Veteran Support Campus.
The move aims to improve access to veteran support services by consolidating resources into a single, larger facility. The expanded space allows the commission to increase staffing, reduce wait times for appointments, and broaden its range of programs for veterans and their families.
“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 ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by over 150 people who toured the renovated facility featuring counseling spaces, a food pantry for veterans, and a fitness center dedicated to wellness programs. “This is a transformational improvement to veteran services in Will County,” said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. She said that working closely with VAC made it possible “to create a space over triple the size of their previous office,” which will enable enhanced counseling as well as employment assistance, financial aid, housing support, mental health care, and community-focused resources.
VAC Superintendent Jen Solum said: “This space exists for our veterans, offering a place of support, community, and opportunity.” She thanked both staff members and county leaders for helping realize this expansion.
The upgraded campus also houses other organizations such as Hines VA’s Joliet Community Based Outpatient Clinic and Volunteers of America Illinois’ Hope Manor Housing. In addition to veteran-specific offerings, residents can access free employment services through the Workforce Center of Will County located within the same building.
Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne described it as fulfilling “a bipartisan vision by Will County’s leadership” by providing essential centralized resources for those who served in uniform. The building was purchased by Will County in February 2021; renovations included improved accessibility features along with modern technology upgrades.
“This project is an investment that reflects not just growth but also our commitment to support our nation’s heroes,” said Mica Freeman from the Capital Improvements Committee. Freeman added that responsible stewardship set “a standard that I believe will serve as a model for communities across the country.”
While focusing on supporting local veterans through improved infrastructure such as this new campus facility,the Illinois State Board of Education reports that during the 2022-23 school year there were 102,683 students enrolled across Will County schools with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 14-to-1. Teacher absenteeism reached 38.6% locally compared with Illinois’ average rate of 35.6%.
Lockport Township High School East had the highest enrollment among white students (2,626), Bolingbrook High School led among multiracial students (154), Joliet Central High School had most Hispanic students (2,358), while Crete-Monee High School reported highest Black student enrollment (931) during that period.
