History

In October 1998 Mark Brown, Kevyn Williams, John Bauerle and John Stanborough (OAM) jointly opened HVIC at 99 High St Wodonga. Quickly expanding and with a requirement for a larger facility, an offer too good to be true was made by a major local sponsor. In 2003, HVIC moved to its current location, at 138 Melbourne Road Wodonga. Since opening its doors, HVIC has assisted more than 4500 people to access compensation and entitlements as well as a wide range of other benefits; including a drop-in centre with internet facilities and a small book library.

HVIC is a non-profit, volunteer organisation, that assists: war widows, widowers, returned service personnel, current and former serving ADF personnel and former serving members of allied armies. With more than 20 dedicated volunteers operating the centre, HVIC has gained a reputation for excellence in assisting the above mentioned community members, within in the Albury/Wodonga and surrounding areas.

Funding

The centre is not allowed to solicit donations from veterans; however, donations are important in order to maintain the facilities and continue this important work. When a donation is made, a receipt is issued reflecting the donation amount. Major sponsors of HVIC are the RSL, Commercial Club of Albury and the Sailors, Soldiers and Airmens' Club of Albury. It would be remiss of us not to mention that the doors of the centre could have quite possibly closed some time ago, if not for the generosity of the clubs mentioned above. Funding is also received through the Department of Veterans' Affairs, Building Excellence in Support and Training (BEST) Grants.

Welfare

Welfare is one of the major growth areas of the centre. With the aging veteran community, there is a growing need for volunteers that specialise in the welfare of veterans. Some of the tasks undertaken by our specialist welfare officers include, but are not limited to:
Hospital Visits,
Home Visits - as required,
Liaison with local government bodies concerning veterans',
Liaison with local Veterans' Affairs Network (VAN) office,
Liaison with age care facilities within the area of responsibility,
General assistance when requested, and
Transitional Management of discharging Defence Personnel.

Volunteer Interest

If you are interested in being a volunteer, please contact the centre. Positions are available, after training, in most areas of the centre.