R. R. Branstrom | Daily Press Escanaba Vet Center Director Jim Harsh addresses a large crowd at the grand opening of the new facility at 301 N 30th Street on Monday.

ESCANABA — The Escanaba Vet Center celebrated the grand opening of its new location at 301 N. 30th St., which was relocated in April, with a ribbon cutting and open house on Monday, June 26. Director Jim Marsh thanked all his employees for their important work before a large gathering of veterans, affiliates, families, media, and community.

Vet centers provide free, confidential support to aid veterans readjust to civilian life, overcome trauma, or adapt to retirement. A range of services include not only traditional counseling and treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy and prolonged exposure therapy, but also activities like fishing trips, yoga, and tai chi. The methods vary based on individual needs.

“We are more client-centered as opposed to program-centered,” said Marsh.

As director of the only brick-and-mortar vet center in the U.P., Marsh works to ensure that veterans across the peninsula are able to access useful and necessary resources. This goal is achieved through the use of mobile vet centers — large vans well-equipped and well-staffed to attend events, provide support during natural disasters, and offer on-the-spot counseling — and tele-health services, which became more accessible and widely utilized during and after the pandemic.

Still, Marsh feels it is important to have inviting facilities in Escanaba, and the new building fits the bill. One of the advantages is a greater number of windows than at the previous site in Willow Creek Professional Building. “Research has shown that natural light seems to help with people feeling more relaxed in sharing their stories. One of the things we looked at was we wanted a space that had natural light for opportunities for folks to have a safe place to tell their stories.” Marsh explained that when one of the goals when Vietnam veteran Max Cleland founded the Vet Center Program was to provide a welcoming and less clinical setting.

Though the vet center is a subsidiary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, “Vets are a lot more comfortable coming in here (than going through the VA),” said Michael Rutledge, coordinator of Student Veteran Services at Northern Michigan University, who says he refers people here fairly regularly. Many find the atmosphere of the Vet Center more appealing, he explained.

The new center in Escanaba is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Veterans, service members, and family members can find out more information on-site or at va.gov.