The Stanislaus County Veterans Advisory Commission (VAC) will be holding its monthly meeting on Monday, July 25 in the Waterford Community Center at 540 C St., starting at 5:30 p.m.

The commission is a seven-member board in which five members are appointed by county supervisors with two at-large appointees. All are veterans tasked with advising the county about local veterans issues such as employment, homelessness and political issues.

One of the major points of discussion at the meeting will be the progress being made on the Stanislaus Veterans Center at Coffee and Sylvan in the building once housing Richland Market and Ace Hardware. The 37,000-square foot building is a collaboration between a non-profit veterans board, Stanislaus County and the City of Modesto. When finished, it will house several county agencies dealing with veterans such as the Department of Aging and Veterans Services and the local Veterans Service Office.

The building will also include a large banquet room with a full service kitchen which can be used free of charge by local veterans organizations or rented out to the general public. There will also be conference and meeting rooms which will be available for use by veterans groups like the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Marine Corps League.

The meeting will also feature reports from representatives of Congressman Jeff Denham and Assemblywoman Kristen Olsen, who will be sworn in as the District 1 supervisor next year. Reports and information from local and county agencies pertaining to veterans, including upcoming veterans events, will also be discussed.

For more information, contact Bill Johnson at 896-5057 or botulismbill@earthlink.net.