Sharon Temos was raised in a military household.

Her father, a World War II Purple Heart recipient, passed away 19 years ago, leaving behind his wife, who now resides in assisted living at the age of 90.As costs for her mother’s care grows, Sharon and her husband of 47 years, Larry, made an appointment to speak with the Service Officer of the Department of Pennsylvanian American Legion, Jeffrey Saunders’ Veterans Assistance Program for help researching and applying for survivor’s benefits to take the edge off the expenses.“My lawyer told me about the program,” Sharon said.“He said he was surprised they didn’t inform us of the service,” Larry said.Saunders has been acting as a type of go-between for 12 years, working for the American Legion for half the time.“When I did this for the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) I’d give briefings between three and four and a half hours with 189 PowerPoint slides,” he said.The program was picked up at the Slatington Borough building two years ago under the helm of former 183rd District state Rep. Julie Harhart, a Republican.“The mission is to assist vets and loved ones with applying for benefits. I’m a focal point to give out the proper information,” Saunders said.Through the borough hall address, Saunders has helped more than 140 people apply for ID cards and research different venues for veterans to receive the benefits they are due.“Part of my job is to get people the right information,” he said.According to the officer, roughly 99 percent of the cases he takes on are compensation or pension related.“I regularly work with widows. Sometimes they get guidance from people who didn’t have the right information. Bills get racked up because people don’t have the information. Funeral homes will also let the bills rack up.”“When Uncle Sam signs you up, he owns you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you get hurt in training or get an illness that has stayed with you, there are benefits there,” he said.“Even active troops have questions, too. We try to get them the right information. Sometimes it’s not just medical, sometimes they never got the medals they received while serving.”On Jan. 3, Republican Zach Mako was sworn in as the district’s new state representative. A graduate from Northampton Area High School, Mako joined the Pennsylvania National Guard in January 2008. As a Chinook helicopter pilot, he was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2012 for nine months supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. As a veteran himself, he knows the importance of keeping the assistance program running in the office.“It gives them that personal one-on-one time” he said.“Taking care of the vets is paramount and is one of our top priorities,” Mako said.“They call and set up an appointment and come in with any issues they may have. Jeff gets them the paperwork,” Mako said.“It’s not always easy dealing with the VA and you need a lesson. You get one-on-one time and it’s confidential. They get to sit down and take the time to think. I would encourage vets to come in and set up a time.”“It gets peace of mind for them,” Saunders said.The federally run program is free with four appointments available the first Thursday of the month. The locations alternate between 125 S. Walnut St. and the 2030 Center St. office in Northampton.To make an appointment, call either Slatington at 610-760-9805 or Northampton at 610-502-2701.“If we didn’t have this program we’d have to direct them to Veterans Affairs, but now we can direct them here. We get a lot of older vets and spouses. Kids will come in with surviving parents and need to know about the benefits,” said Mako’s Legislative Aide Jodi Nestor.“They served our country and put their life on the line. Taking care of them is a top priority,” Mako said.According to the service officer, the best site to check for potential benefits or for more information is visit

www.va.gov.