Secretary for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Eric Shinseki joined Congressman Chet Edwards and other leaders to make the announcement on Thursday in Waco.

That's welcomed news not only for prospective employees, but for the people they will serve.

"They deserve this commitment," Edwards said, referring to veterans

		WATCH THE VIDEO
	New jobs News 8’s Bonnie Gonzalez looks into job creation in Waco.

"We’re expanding our hours of operation, and we're going to be processing claims and that is the goal," explained Carl Lowe II, Waco VA Regional Office Director.

Many of the employees will be veterans themselves, like Jay Fondren who has worked at the regional office since 2006.

"I'm able to take a lot of time to talk to these vets. I've been through the process. I can relate to them, what they expect to see," Jay said.

Tracie Varvarigos works at the regional office, although she's not a veteran.

She was hired temporarily along with more than 60 others, but those positions were declared permanent on Thursday.

“We have three little kids. We have a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old and, you know, it's hard not knowing if you're going to have a job to pay the bills," she said.

Dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are funding the jobs, which will in turn help those who give the ultimate sacrifice.

Once the hiring process is complete, new employees are scheduled to start work on March 1.

Starting salaries will be $37,000 a year.