Veteran Resources – Humboldt Watch

The six official U.S. military branch flags, labeled: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard

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The best first call for most veterans is the Humboldt County Veterans Service Office in Eureka: (707) 445-7611. Their help is free. They help veterans, family members and survivors apply for VA and state benefits, and they can point you to everything else on this page.

If someone is in crisis right now, see the next section. Phone numbers and hours can change, so please call ahead before you drive anywhere.

Emergency and crisis help (24 hours a day)

If someone is in danger right now, call 911.

Who to call	How to reach them	What it is
Veterans Crisis Line	Call 988, then press 1 · Text 838255 · Chat online	Free, private help from people trained to work with veterans. You do not need to be signed up with the VA. Family members can call too.
Humboldt County Behavioral Health Crisis Line	(707) 445-7715 · Toll-free (888) 849-5728	Local mental health crisis help, any hour. Walk-ins at 720 Wood St., Eureka.
Humboldt County Substance Use Access Line	(855) 765-9703	Help with drug or alcohol problems, any hour.
Crisis Text Line	Text HOME to 741741	Free texting support, any hour.

Humboldt County Veterans Service Office (benefits help)

Humboldt County Veterans Service Office — 1105 Sixth St., Suite F, Eureka, CA 95501 · (707) 445-7611

This free county office helps veterans, family members and survivors get the benefits they earned. A “claim” is just the paperwork you send to ask for a benefit. They will fill it out with you and follow it until you get an answer.

They can help with:

Disability pay for injuries or illness from service (called “compensation”)
Pensions for wartime veterans and their widows or widowers
VA health care and dental sign-up
Home loans, including CalVet home loans
College fee waivers for veterans’ children and spouses
Education and job training benefits (GI Bill)
Burial benefits and survivor benefits
Getting copies of military records, discharge papers (DD-214) and medals
Appeals, if a claim was turned down
State veterans homes

The office sometimes sends staff out to rural towns. Call to ask if they will be near you.

Health care and counseling

Place	Address and phone	What they offer
Eureka VA Clinic	930 W. Harris St., Eureka, CA 95503 · (707) 269-7500	VA doctor visits, mental health, hearing, eye care, foot care, lab tests and more. Part of the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Homeless veterans can drop in for care.
Eureka Vet Center	2830 G St., Suites A & B, Eureka, CA 95501 · (707) 444-8271 · Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.	Free, private counseling in a non-medical setting. For combat veterans, people who faced military sexual trauma, and their families. Also offers grief counseling for families who lost a service member.
VA Caregiver Support Program	(855) 260-3274	Help and training for family members who care for a veteran at home.
VA Center for Women Veterans	Call or text (855) 829-6636	Help women veterans find VA care and benefits.

To sign up for VA health care, the Veterans Service Office can help, or you can apply on VA.gov.

Housing help

For a veteran who has no place to live, or may lose their home soon, these are the places to call.

Who	Address and phone	How they help
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans	(877) 424-3838 (877-4AID-VET), any hour	The fastest way into VA housing help. They connect you to the local VA homeless team.
Nation’s Finest – Eureka	109 Fourth St., Eureka, CA 95501 · (707) 442-4322	Local nonprofit for veterans. Runs a program called SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families) that helps families stay housed or find housing fast.
Eureka VA Clinic	930 W. Harris St., Eureka · (707) 269-7500	Homeless veterans can walk in for care. Staff can start a referral for HUD-VASH.
Housing Authority of the County of Humboldt	735 W. Everding St., Eureka, CA 95503 · (707) 443-4583	Handles rent vouchers, including HUD-VASH vouchers for veterans.

What is HUD-VASH? It is a rent voucher for homeless veterans. The veteran pays about 30% of their income toward rent, and the voucher pays the rest. A VA case worker helps along the way. You must not have a dishonorable discharge.

Jobs, school and training

Who	Contact	How they help
College of the Redwoods – Veterans Resource Center	(707) 476-4110 · veterans@redwoods.edu	Help using GI Bill and other school benefits at the community college. Also helps veterans’ family members with the CalVet college fee waiver.
Cal Poly Humboldt – Veterans Enrollment & Transition Services (VETS)	(707) 826-6272 · vets@humboldt.edu · Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.	Help for student veterans, service members and their families. GI Bill help, fee waivers, early class sign-up, and a place to meet other veterans.
The Job Market (America’s Job Center of California)	409 K St., Eureka, CA 95501 · thejobmarket@co.humboldt.ca.us	Free job help. Job centers have staff just for veterans, and veterans get first pick for job referrals and training.
CalJOBS	Online	California’s job website. Veterans get a 24-hour head start on some new job listings.

One nice benefit many families miss: the CalVet College Fee Waiver can cover tuition at California community colleges, Cal State and UC schools for some veterans’ children and spouses. The Veterans Service Office can check if your family qualifies.

Veterans halls and local groups

These groups are a good way for veterans to find friendship and local help. Many also host Veterans Day events.

Group	Where	Contact
American Legion Fort Humboldt Post 212	Eureka Veterans Memorial Building, 1018 H St., Eureka (between 10th and 11th)	(707) 499-0112 · Mail: P.O. Box 112, Eureka, CA 95502
American Legion Arcata Post 274	Arcata Veterans Memorial Hall, Arcata	(707) 683-9806 · Meets the 1st Friday of each month, 6 p.m.
Fortuna Veterans Memorial Building	Fortuna	County-owned veterans hall. Hosts a yearly Veterans Day tribute.
Nation’s Finest – Eureka	109 Fourth St., Eureka	(707) 442-4322 · Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Housing, case management, job help and referrals for veterans in Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino counties.

Meeting times can change, so call before you go. To find more local posts (VFW, DAV and others), the Veterans Service Office keeps in touch with many of them.

Legal help, food and rides

Need	Who	Contact
Free legal help	Legal Services of Northern California – Eureka	123 Third St., Eureka, CA 95501 · (707) 445-0866 · Toll-free (800) 972-0002. Free help for people with low income, including veterans benefits, housing, Social Security and Medi-Cal problems. Call first; intake is Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri, 9 a.m.–noon and 1–4 p.m.
Food	Food for People (Humboldt County Food Bank)	307 W. 14th St., Eureka, CA 95501 · (707) 445-3166. Food pantries in many towns around the county, plus home delivery for people who can’t get out.
Rides to VA visits	Eureka VA Clinic	(707) 269-7500. Ask about VA travel pay. Some veterans can get paid back for gas or miles driven to VA appointments. You can also read about VA travel pay online.
Help finding anything else	211 Humboldt	Dial 211 from any phone. Free help finding local services, any time.

State and national help

Who	Contact	What it is
CalVet (California Department of Veterans Affairs)	(800) 952-5626	California’s veterans agency. State benefits, CalVet home loans, college fee waivers and veterans homes.
VA.gov	Online	Apply for and check on VA benefits and health care.
National Call Center for Homeless Veterans	(877) 424-3838	Housing help, any hour.
VA Caregiver Support	(855) 260-3274	Help for family caregivers.
VA Center for Women Veterans	(855) 829-6636	Help for women veterans.

Sources

Checked October 10, 2026. Phone numbers and hours can change, so please call to confirm.