Niagara County clerk helps vets sign up for 'Thank A Vet' program

Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski welcomed a group of veterans to the Niagara County Courthouse on Tuesday to sign up for the county’s “Thank A Vet” program and receive their photo I.D. card. This card entitles veterans to discounts on the purchase of goods and services at more than 500 participating businesses throughout Niagara County.

Jastrzemski said this group of veterans all reside at a senior living community in Wheatfield, and he was recently invited to one of their meetings to discuss the county’s Veteran Services Agency (VSA).

“Meeting with this group is getting an opportunity to be part of living history, as there are vets from WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf all sharing their experiences,” Jastrzemski said. “During the course of the conversation, I realized that many of them were not signed up for our ‘Thank A Vet’ program, so I invited them all to the clerk’s office to get them signed up for their card, take a tour of the VSA, and view our Purple Heart display in the rotunda of the courthouse.”

Jastrzemski is encouraging other veterans to take part in the program. The eligibility guidelines require participants to be Niagara County residents and present official government photo identification (i.e., driver’s license or non-driver ID card); to have been honorably discharged from any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces; and to have official discharge papers (DD-214) on file in the Niagara County Clerk’s Office. If DD-214 is not on file, it must be presented for filing prior to issuance of discount card.

Discount cards are issued from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Niagara County Clerk’s Office, 175 Hawley St., Lockport. Those with questions can call the VSA at 716-438-4090.