Senator Phillips-Hill E-Newsletter

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If you know a Veteran, please forward this issue to him or her as it provides important updates, resources, and information.

In this Update:

  • Honoring Our Local Heroes: Veterans Day Weekend Recap
  • Disaster Assistance and Resources for Veterans
  • Food Assistance for Veterans and Their Families
  • Veterans Job Listing
  • What are Vet Centers?
  • Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?
  • Contacting Your Local Vet Center

Honoring Our Local Heroes: Veterans Day Weekend Recap

Over Veterans Day weekend, I had the privilege of attending several events across our community to honor and celebrate our nation’s heroes.

The weekend began with a bus trip send-off breakfast, organized by Bailey Coach, for 350 Veterans and their guests traveling to the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Among the many highlights was hearing World War II Veteran Quentin Stambaugh share his extraordinary experiences from 39 combat missions. It was a powerful reminder of the sacrifices our Veterans have made for our country. You can find more photos here.

At the York County Expo Center, more than 1,000 Veterans, their families, and community members gathered for the annual Veterans Day Celebration and Breakfast. Marine Corps Veteran and my colleague, Sen. Devlin Robinson, delivered a keynote address that truly inspired us all. Marine Veteran Dean R. Vanzanardi was recognized with the prestigious George H. Eyler Veterans Meritorious Service Award for his outstanding dedication and service to our community. You can find more photos from the breakfast here.

It was an honor to join the First Capitol Detachment #521, Marine Corps League, in York for the 249th Birthday of the Marine Corps. The traditional cake-cutting ceremony, featuring Sen. Robinson and the oldest and youngest Marines present, beautifully showcased the enduring brotherhood of the Marines and their unwavering commitment to our nation. You can find photos from the evening here.

The weekend concluded with the 11/11@7 Rally, hosted by the Exchange Club of Hanover and Hanover VFW Post 2506. This impactful event brought our community together to raise awareness for homeless Veterans, ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten. You can find more from that event here.

Thank you to all who have worn the uniform of this great nation and to those who dedicated their time and effort to organize these meaningful events. Your service and sacrifices have shaped the freedoms we enjoy today. Together, we stand united in ensuring your legacy of courage, commitment, and selflessness is always honored and never forgotten.

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 a partnership with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, JFT provides groceries for Veterans and their families. The initiative is known as the Military Food Share Program. Each share includes meat, eggs, milk, produce and nonperishables.

This program is an important way to fulfill our mission of supporting Veterans and their families by mitigating food insecurity while empowering those who utilize it to save money.

For information on eligibility and availability or to make monetary donations, contact JFT York. Mary Jo Krynock is available at 717-747-4221 the fourth Tuesday of the month from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Church of the Open Door, 4075 E. Market St., York. Other locations are available here.

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?

VA Vet centers provide free and confidential readjustment counseling for war-zone Veterans and their families, from 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.

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.

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:

  • Served on active military duty in any combat theater or area of hostility.
  • Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era).
  • Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era).
  • Provided mortuary services or direct emergent medical care to treat the casualties of war while serving on active military duty.
  • Performed as a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility.
  • Accessed care at a Vet Center prior to Jan. 2, 2013, as a Vietnam-era Veteran.
  • Served on active military duty in response to a national emergency or major disaster declared by the president, or under orders of the governor or chief executive of a state in response to a disaster or civil disorder in that state.
  • Are a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, regardless of the location.

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.

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.

Vet center locations in Pennsylvania are:

  • Bucks County Vet Center, 2 Canals End Road, Suite 201B, Bristol, PA 19007, 215-823-4590
  • DuBois Vet Center, 100 Meadow Lane, Suite 8, DuBois, PA 15801, 814-372-2095
  • Erie Vet Center, 240 West 11th Street, Suite 105, Erie, PA 16501, 814-453-7955
  • Harrisburg Vet Center, 1500 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-782-3954
  • Lancaster Vet Center, 1817 Olde Homestead Lane, Suite 207, Lancaster, PA 17601, 717283-0735
  • Norristown Vet Center, 320 East Johnson Highway, Suite 201, Norristown, PA 19401, 215-823-5245
  • City Center Philadelphia Vet Center, 801 Arch Street, Suite 502, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-627-0238
  • Northeast Philadelphia Vet Center, 101 East Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120, 215-924-4670
  • Pittsburgh Vet Center, 2500 Baldwick Road, Suite 15, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412-920-1765
  • Scranton Vet Center, 1002 Pittston Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505, 570-344-2676
  • White Oak Vet Center, 2001 Lincoln Way, Suite 280, White Oak, PA 15131, 412-678-7704
  • Williamsport Vet Center, 49 East Fourth Street, Suite 104, Williamsport, PA 17701, 570-327-5281

For more information, please visit www.Vetcenter.va.gov.

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