State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit hosted the first of what is planned to be quarterly roundtable meetings with area veterans Sept. 19.

Up for discussion were topics ranging from health to helpful tips to avoid scams that target veterans benefits.

“I’d like to get more people involved and active in veterans organizations,” said Kifowit. “We’re going to try and do this once a quarter, get together, and discuss things we can do, and things we need to do.”

About 20 veterans gathered at the Eola Road branch of the Aurora library.

The special guest speaker was Mike Barbour, veterans advocate for Naperville Township and service officer for American Legion Post 43. Barbour spoke on a variety of issues concerning the well being of aging veterans.

One program he is helping get off the ground in the area is free yoga classes offered through the Connected Warriors group.

“First of all, no, you don’t have to wear spandex,” joked Barbour. “When I’ve been going, you can tell your flexibility increases with each class, it’s great.”

He said yoga is known to treat the symptoms of PTSD, help soldiers get a full night’s sleep, increase flexibility, strength, balance and focus, and improve blood flow and the immune system in general.

Classes will be available in mid-October in the Aurora area through connectedwarriors.org. The classes are open to service members, veterans, and their families.

Barbour also wanted veterans to be aware of certain scams aimed to swindle veterans out of their Veterans Affairs pension program benefits.

He said individuals trying to assist veterans in filing a claim must be accredited by the VA. Never pay a fee to anyone for preparing and filing the initial claim, and avoid packages that sell trusts or annuities in connection with filing a claim.

Veterans who receive monthly disability compensation or pension payments are also targets for the lump sum payment scam.

Scammers will offer a lump sum payment in exchange for future benefits.

“These transactions are generally not a good deal,” said Barbour.

If a veteran gets a call for a lump sum payment deal, be aware that lump sum arrangements are very costly, often the equivalent of a 60 to 70 percent interest rate. Say no to arrangements that allow a creditor to access your account, and remember that benefits cannot be garnished by a creditor.

“We got a good crowd here to start, hopefully we can grow these meetings in the future to get even more information out to our local veterans,” said Kifowit.