Procedure and bureaucracy can often stand in the way of veterans seeking help, but one Ballarat business is doing its part to support them.
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Each year proceeds from Forty Winks' ANZAC weekend sales get donated to the RSL to help support veteran welfare.
Veteran and senior vice president of Ballarat RSL, Frank Nuccio said the support is invaluable when working through injury claims.
"It is very complex legislation," Mr Nuccio said.
"If you need to claim an injury from that time, you need to prove that an injury took place.
"So you need to access your medical records from back then to find proof of the injury.
"Then you have got to go back to a doctor now and prove that you still have the injury, and that it is worse and that it was caused by service."
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Mr Nuccio served as an infantry soldier in the Australian army for six years, based in Townsville, Malaysia and Sydney.
He said his claims process with the help of the RSL took two years.
"In infantry there is a lot of lifting and at the time I did not think much of it," Mr Nuccio said.
"You know when you are younger, you just shrug it off and say it will be fine.
"I've also put in a claim for hearing loss, a lot of the infantry people you find wear hearing aids."
After his claims process, Mr Nuccio became involved with the RSL to help other veterans like himself.
First as the appeal officer and now as senior vice president.
"It is my opportunity to give back to other veterans and try and help them," Mr Nuccio said.
He encourages anyone who might need support from the RSL to reach out.
"Ballarat RSL have got some fantastic advocates on staff and are always willing to help," Mr Nuccio said.
Ballarat RSL president Alan Douglass said he was pleased to see Ballarat support stay within the Ballarat community.
"The $4,800 strictly goes to welfare to be only used for veterans," Mr Douglass said.
"You don't have to be a member of the RSL to receive help, as long as you have served you can receive support from the Ballarat RSL."
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