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If you know a veteran, please forward this issue to them (you can sign up for my mission reports here). There are some important updates, resources and information they can use. In this Update:
Remembering Our Military Veterans on Veterans Day
On Monday, Nov. 11, we will honor all Americans who have served. Veterans Day is not about battles fought or enemies defeated, although those are important to the defense of liberty. The day is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things and making incredible sacrifices. As a matter of history, in November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The day was chosen because a year earlier, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, effectively ending World War I. The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. In 1938, Armistice Day – Nov. 11 – was recognized, in federal statute, as a legal holiday. Up until the end of World War II, the holiday only honored veterans of World War I. However, in 1954, Congress amended the statute creating the federal holiday by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting the word “Veterans,” making Nov. 11 a day to honor all American war veterans. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” on Oct. 8, 1954. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey, an estimated 5.9%, or a bit more than 614,000, of Pennsylvania’s population are veterans, of which 35.7% are Vietnam-era veterans, 21.5% are Gulf War (9/2001 or later) veterans, 19.8% are Gulf War (8/1990 to 8/2001) veterans, 4.7% are Korean War veterans and 0.8% are World War II veterans. More than 91.7% of Pennsylvania’s veterans are men and 55.1% of our state’s veterans are 65 years of age or older. Veterans Day Retail Discounts, Free Meals, Other Offers
Restaurants, businesses and attractions extend their thanks to veterans and active-duty military personnel by offering freebies and discounts leading up to and on Veterans Day. The Military Officers Association of America has collected a list of those deals and will continue to update it as they learn of more nationally available Veterans Day discounts, meals or other ways businesses and organizations want to give back to veterans. You can view the list here. Disaster Assistance and Resources for Veterans
As we witnessed in August, disasters can strike at any time. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) have been working to assist the residents of counties in our region affected by flooding. What might not be known is that in the wake of a disaster, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers some resources that may help veterans and their families. Visit the VA’s Disaster Help website for more information. Food Assistance for Veterans and Their Families
In Northwest and Central Pennsylvania, roughly 20% of households receiving food assistance have at least one member who has served or is currently serving in the military. The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania (serving Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Venango and Warren counties) and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s Williamsport Health Food Hub (serving Bradford, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union counties) offer MilitaryShare, which is designed to provide fresh, nutritious foods for families with at least one member who has served in the armed forces. For the convenience and privacy of the individuals and families served, MilitaryShare distributions take place on-site at VA Medical Centers, Veterans of Foreign Wars facilities, and at armories throughout the service areas of the two food banks. Second Harvest’s Agency Locator can help you find the closest Food Pantry, Produce Express, or Soup Kitchen near you. To learn more about Second Harvest’s special programs for active military personnel or veterans, call 814-459-3663. The distribution sites for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank can be found on their MilitaryShare website. Veterans Job Listing
Every week, the Pennsylvania Nation Guard Associations updates its free job board with good openings for National Guard members, veterans and their families across Pennsylvania and in nearby states. The board features nearly 10,000 employment and internship postings. What are Vet Centers?
I’ve been asked this question by several of my fellow vets and feel it’s important to provide an answer to those who haven’t reached out yet. VA Vet Centers provide free and confidential readjustment counseling for War-Zone Veterans and their families, World War II to the current Global War on Terror. Vet Centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in our region. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military. Our region is served by the DuBois Vet Center, which is one of 12 Vet Centers in Pennsylvania and over 300 across the country. Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet Centers you can form social connections, try new things, and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed. The Dubois Vet Center’ website is designed to provide veterans, family members, and community partners the ability to see what services the center offers, as well as the center’s Community Access Points with a picture of the entrance so first time visitors have a frame of reference to help guide them in. From my time in the State House through my current position, I’ve had a strong relationship with the Dubois Vet Center. They have helped me help many of my fellow vets. Two Recreational Therapy Groups Available at the Dubois Vet Center As part of a national competition, the DuBois Vet Center was approved for initial funding for two recreational therapy groups. One of the groups is an introduction to fly tying for fly fishing, with one of the center’s counselors being an avid fly tyer and fisherman. The other group is a no sew blanket group, which the center hopes will generate interest from women veterans, but the group is open to anyone who would like to join. The groups will be held at the Vet Center with approximately 4 cohorts to run quarterly with 6 vets in each cohort. The center says it hopes to grow these groups and potentially be able to have them at the center’s Community Access Points (CAPs) in McKean, Centre and Blair counties, with the possibility of adding more recreational therapy groups in the future. The center noted the initial funding will help them launch the groups, but they will be actively trying to obtain additional funding they can expand on them. Who is eligible to receive services at Vet Centers? Vet Center services are available to Veterans at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without the need to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you are a Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access Vet Center services if you:
Contacting your local Vet Center Even if you are unsure if you meet the criteria to receive services from a Vet Center, please contact a center. From personal experience I can tell you that, if the center can’t help you, they’ll find someone who will. Center services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so does your local center. Bereavement services are also available to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet Center services at the time of the Veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty. The DuBois Vet Center, located at 100 Meadow Lane, Suite 8, DuBois, PA 15801, can be contacted at 814-372-2095 or toll free 24/7 at 1-877-WAR-VETS (927-8387). The DuBois Vet Center recently announced counseling and referral services are now being provided at the State College American Legion Post 245, in addition to the many services they offer at their other locations in Altoona, Bradford, Penn State-DuBois, Smethport and their mobile Vet Center. The other Vet Center locations in Pennsylvania are:
For more information, please visit www.vetcenter.va.gov. |
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