Ottawa County opened a new veterans services resource center on Veterans Day, holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for a facility officials say gives veterans easier access to benefits and a welcoming place to gather. The new center sits on the lower level of the Ottawa County Administration Building.
The new space is meant to serve as a hub for resources and support for veterans across the county. Ottawa County’s listing for Veterans Services places the office in the Administration Building’s lower level at 12220 Fillmore Street in West Olive, according to miottawa.org.
Jason Schenkel is Ottawa County Veterans Services Director. The center opened on Veterans Day at 11 a.m.; the World War I armistice took effect on November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m. Don Dykstra said Ottawa County’s Vietnam War-era veterans did not receive the welcome home they deserved.
A Dedicated Space Two Years in the Making
Kendra Wenzel, who serves on the Ottawa County Veterans Services Committee, said the center is designed to offer connection, fellowship and community for the veterans who use it.
The center includes a dedicated lounge and conference area where veterans can gather. The space is intended to provide privacy and a welcoming environment for veterans seeking assistance, whether they are navigating benefits paperwork or looking for a place to connect with others who served.
From Groundbreaking to Grand Opening
The push for a dedicated facility dates back to the summer of 2025. Ottawa County officially broke ground on the project on July 1 of that year, according to a county announcement distributed via GovDelivery, which at the time said the facility was slated for completion that fall. The same announcement described plans for private screening rooms for VA claims and benefit consultations, staff offices, a veterans lounge, self-help computer stations and a conference room.
Funding for the $225,000 project came from ARPA funds approved by the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners in November 2024, per a report from WGVU. That reporting also noted the new center took over a section of the Fillmore Street Complex in West Olive that had formerly housed Ottawa County’s probate and family justice courts.
Before the move, Ottawa County Veterans Services had shared office space inside a county building on James Street in Holland, according to the Ottawa News Network. The outlet also reported that the West Olive location sits near the geographic center of Ottawa County, making services reachable within 20 minutes for almost all local veterans — a shift intended to cut down on long drives for people seeking help.
What Veterans Can Access at the New Center
Per the county’s Veterans Services page, the office connects eligible veterans and their spouses with burial benefits, emergency grants to help with unforeseen expenses, free transportation to and from medical appointments, and mental health and self-care resources. Combined with the lounge and conference space, the center is built to function as both a service office and a gathering spot.
County officials have framed the new space as part of a broader effort to make sure veterans across Ottawa County know where to turn when they need support, whether that is help accessing earned benefits or simply a place to sit down with coffee and other veterans who understand their experience.
