With the open house set for Saturday at the new location of Veterans Helping Veterans and Others, at 1525 Harrisonville Ave., in Portsmouth, the organization is announcing help for veterans wishing to file disability claims.

“I’m going to be filing claims down there the second and fourth Tuesday every month,” VHVAO Service Officer Bob Wells said. “Primarily disability, service-connected disability, or non-service-connected pensions either one. Anything to deal with the VA (Veterans Administration) actually.”

Wells said the Mobile Vets Center out of the Columbus office is also scheduled to be at the new VHVO headquarters Saturday, and after that, the fourth Tuesday of the month.

“It’s like an RV basically, for mental health counseling and therapy,” Wells said. “They’re going to do that the fourth Tuesday and see if they need to be here more often. If they do, they will make arrangements. If not, they will make it less frequent. But it’s for mental health counseling.”

Wells said the open house is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. with ceremonies set to begin at New Life Family Worship Center, where several people will be honored.

“We’re going to recognize everybody at the church who donated and helped us get the store together,” VHVO Commander John Foster said. “Mr. and Mrs. William Etterling and Selena Copas will be there to speak, and Calvin Ray Evans, pastor of Rubyville Community Church, will be our main speaker.”

The store Foster referred to is the VHVAO thrift store, which is at the same location on Harrisonville Avenue, and will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Etterlings are the parents of Jonathan Etterling, a Marine killed in a helicopter crash near the Jordanian Border, and Copas is the mother of Michael Orban, a Northwest High School student and athlete who died. VHVO’s food pantry is named after the two.

Mike Gifford, president of Living With a Cause, will display Charlie’s Mustang, a recently restored car that belonged to a local resident killed in the Vietnam War.

New Boston Mayor Jim Warren and former Pittsburgh Pirates star Al Oliver will speak, and Oliver will sign autographs.

Foster said VHVO offers, along with a food pantry, a clothing giveaway, as well as the thrift store.

FRANK LEWIS may be reached at (740) 353-3101, ext. 232.