New veterans office offers benefits in unique ways

A new veteran benefits office has opened up on 1001 SW B Avenue. Founded by veterans Dale K. Graham and Rhonda Reynolds, the Dale K. Graham Veterans Foundation helps veterans and their spouses receive benefits in unique ways.

Taylor Poindexter, CEO of the Foundation, said the idea has been talked about for over a year.

“When I came aboard, because this is my community, I knew the right people,” Poindexter said.

Poindexter said they decided to have an office in Southwest Oklahoma because of its popularity.

“Southwest Oklahoma is the second largest user of our services,” Poindexter said. “Central Oklahoma, around the Norman area, is the first largest user.”

Gary Grimes, Program Director of the office, said Graham did work with the VA and Tinker Air Force Base and realized people were having trouble getting claims.

“He began by helping people out of the trunk of his car, and then he expanded to working out of his garage,” Grimes said. “In about 2014-2015, [Graham and Reynolds]decided to set up the foundation as a proper charity organization.”

Grimes said because Graham started the business and has experience with claims, the foundation is named after him.

Poindexter said the goal of the foundation is to have veterans and their families connected to their earned benefits to help improve their lives.

“A veteran that is service connected to the VA, has an opportunity to get a physical improvement in their life,” Poindexter said. “They get health care improvement, educational resources, and state and federal benefits become available to them. Not only does it improve their quality of life, it also assists in improving opportunities for them.”

Poindexter said all the services provided are free of charge.

“We present the fully developed claims to the VA,” Poindexter said. “The VA only has to make a decision on the claim instead of having to do the research on the claim on behalf of the veteran.”

Poindexter said one of the many benefits they provide are appeals services.

“When a veteran submits a claim or we submit a claim on behalf of the veteran, when the decision is made by the VA, if they think that the decision was not appropriate, then we provide appeals to settle the score,” Poindexter said. It’s a unique service that the VA allows where a veteran gets a second chance to have the VA look at their claim to ensure the proper decision was made on behalf of them.”

Poindexter said they also have benefits for widowed spouses.

“We provide a survivor benefits plan team,” Poindexter said. “This group of people that we have help our spouses whose veterans may have passed away and helps them get connected to any benefits they may have.”

“We want to make sure that our foundation is associated with just more than the claims benefits,” Poindexter said. “We’re trying to be 360 when it comes to helping veterans and their families get connected to anything in the military community that they may need help with.”

Poindexter said they rank 8th in national VSOs, which are organizations accredited with the VA.

Poindexter said their foundation is a unique model.

“As an accredited VSO, the Department of Veteran Affairs accredited three types of individuals,” Poindexter said. “These are accredited VSO representatives, attorneys and claims writers or claims agents. We have 20 VSO representatives, one accredited attorney and two claims agents. All of these people are what holds our membership with the Department of Veterans Affairs.”

Poindexter said they are setting up an Altus location, which will be open by July 1.