Canton-area veterans can count on Rita Barnhart at the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) to assist them and their families with receiving earned benefits. A group of Cherokee County veterans appreciate Rita so much they recently honored her with a ceremony and plaque.
The plaque reads, “Thank you, for always doing a job so well, but most of all, for caring about us, your Cherokee County veterans.”
“I have two bulletin boards in my office covered with photos of ‘my’ veterans and their families – I claim them as my own,” says Rita, who has worked in the Canton office for nearly 30 years.
“We develop relationships with these vets and take care of them and their families for years and years. It’s a feeling of great satisfaction to be able to solve their problems and help them with their quality of life.”
In 2011, Rita and her team helped local veterans benefit from $45.4 million in VA funds spent in Cherokee County.
“This type of work is not a ‘job,’ it’s a calling of sorts,” says Rita. “You need to have the right kind of heart to be effective here. I enjoy my job and that makes all the difference.”
“Ms. Barnhart truly cares about her veterans and their dependents,” says GDVS Assistant Commissioner for Field Operations & Claims Mike Roby. “She goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure they are taken care of. I am truly grateful to have Ms. Barnhart as a member of the team.”
