Facing a future filled with questions concerning employment, relocation and housing, a servicemember leaving the military can feel overwhelmed during the separation process.

With their mind focused on dealing with issues most closely pertaining to day-to-day life, a new veteran can forget to focus on the veterans' benefits they're entitled to upon completing their military service.

Heroes to Hometowns was created by the Department of Defense in 2005 (and contracted by the American Legion to run the program) to enable and assist communities in developing programs to support military veterans and their families when the veterans were returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Locally, the Pierce County Heroes to Hometowns organization has more than 80 different agencies - both government and non-government - associated with providing support to military personnel and their families. The organization serves as a uniting entity and umbrella to link veterans with various services throughout the community.

"You'd be surprised ... when veterans get out of the service, they know very little about where to turn for help with issues they're having," said Bob Bearden, an AMVETS representative who's part of Heroes to Hometowns. "We do whatever it takes to service that veteran and their family."

While younger veterans may seek assistance in looking for information getting a college education, military widows may seek help with burial assistance.

Through one organization or another, they are taken care of.

"Every organization on the list has something it can do for veterans," said Rod Wittmier, founder and executive director of VetsMeetVets, which connects recent veterans with more seasoned veterans and the services of their local area.

Over the last 18 months, Heroes to Hometowns has grown by leaps and bounds purely through word of mouth, Bearden said.

The organization hosts a meeting once a month to update members on programs agencies within have available or have initiated or partnered with other organizations.

"It's another access members have for them to get more access to their customers," Bearden said.

The only thing a veteran needs to take advantage of all the resources is their certificate of discharge form - and even if they don't have it, a member agency can step up to get them a replacement.

And although veterans may have faced previous roadblocks in getting assistance with issues other places, due to the deep network of Heroes to Hometowns organizations, it usually isn't a problem.

"People open doors for organizations," Wittmier said. "Our job is to knock down the roadblocks."

That can mean giving the veteran a name and telephone number of the person who they need to talk to or even going the extra mile and the H2H member making the call themselves and setting up an appointment for the veteran.

"To make that extra step is a huge part of it," said Austin Clark, a service director with AMVETS' Service Office in Tacoma.