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Wishing You a Joyful Holiday Season
As we gear up to close out another year, the Department of Veterans' Services (DVS) extends gratitude to all Veterans Service Members, and their families. May this holiday season bring peace, joy, and reflection on the resilience and unity that define the NYC Veteran community. We have a big things planned for 2025 so stay tuned and happy holidays from everyone at DVS.
Need Assistance?
DVS is here to help! Whether it's help filing a claim, housing support, employment services, or other resources, visit nyc.gov/vetconnect and fill out the "VetConnectNYC Request Form" to connect with our team.
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Guardian Revival: New Year's Eve Sunset Hike 2024
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Join Guardian Revival as they close out the last day of 2024 by watching the sun set from the fire tower on Mount Beacon.
This will be a 4 mile out-and-back hike to the fire tower on Mount Beacon, which provides a stunning 360-degree view of the Hudson River Valley, and is perfectly situated to watch the sunset. Bring a friend, something to sit on, and celebrate the end of the year with a beautiful sunset (weather permitting) and great conversation. Hot drinks provided, and this outing is transit accessible via the Metro-North Hudson Line.
- WHO: Guardians and friends/family (adults)
- WHEN: Tuesday, December 31 @ 1:30 PM ET
- WHERE: Mount Beacon Trailhead
- DIFFICULTY: 🟨 Yellow (moderately strenuous)
- Yellow adventures are great for people who are looking to spend several hours on the trail.
- DISTANCE: 4 miles
- DURATION: 3 - 4 hours
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TAPS Program Supporting Military Survivors
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HOLIDAY GRIEF TIPS
The traditions and nostalgia of the holidays can be painful reminders that someone special is missing. TAPS archives of holiday content at taps.org/stories offers relatable tips from peers and experts on managing the added pain the holidays may bring, including these suggestions:
- Admit the pain of grieving through the holidays.
- Do only as much celebrating as you feel like doing.
- Evaluate your traditions and create at least one new one.
- Take care of your physical well-being.
- Consider the spiritual dimension of your life.
- Embrace your memories of holidays past.
- Understand children grieve differently.
- Be honest and validate their experiences.
- Make a plan that considers each family member’s needs.
- Gather support from extended family, friends, and neighbors.
- Be open to change.
Taken from: “Ways to Help Grieving Children During the Holidays”
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Upcoming Oversight Hearing: Connecting Veterans with Arts and Cultural Opportunities
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Legislation to be discussed at the Veterans Committee Hearing:
Int. 686 - Amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to supporting veteran vendors.
Int. 687 - Amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to waiving permit fees for mobile food unit commissaries that reserve space for veteran vendors.
Int. 688 - Amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to cure periods for certain violations by veterans service organizations.
Int. 959 - Amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing rental assistance to homeless veterans
Res. 18 - Calling on the New York City Department of Education to observe Veterans Day the Friday before November 11th if it falls on a Saturday and the Monday after the 11th if it falls on a Sunday.
Res. 311 - Calling on the New York State Assembly to pass, and the Governor to sign, S.2028-A/A.2965-A, to establish a property tax exemption for veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability.
Res 465 - Calling upon the New York City Housing Authority to include an admission preference for public housing in its next proposed agency plan for all veterans of the U.S. military.
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Bob Woodruff Foundation | Our Veterans Calendar
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Lawmakers call for in-depth VA Study on blast pressure injuries
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US Marines and sailors of exercise Platinum Lion 14-1 conduct live-fire on July 20, 2014, by Tanner Iskra
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Military Times | By Leo Shane III
Published Tuesday, Dec 10, 2024
A pair of Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee members are pushing federal researchers to investigate the impact of repetitive low-level blast injuries on veterans’ mental health.
On Monday, Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and Angus King, I-Maine, introduced the Precision Brain Health Research Act, which mandates a 10-year study on the blast injuries. The two lawmakers hope the findings will lead to additional protections for troops using heavy artillery.
“Recent studies have tied low-level blasts, which [service members] are exposed to during training and in combat, to high rates of brain and mental health conditions, as well as suicides,” Moran said in a statement. “This legislation will help us start to better understand why and how blast exposures are impacting [service members] and veterans.”
Blast injuries occur when explosions create high-pressure waves that can damage sensitive organs like the ears and brain. [READ MORE...]
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More Veteran-related Headlines
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A Message From Mayor Adams:
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Each week DVS shares a brief update about how our administration is getting stuff done for New Yorkers.
Our administration works every day to create a more affordable city, and that means ensuring working-class New Yorkers have the ability to provide for their families. Last week, during our "Affordability Week," we laid out a number of different ways we’re making it more affordable to live in the greatest city in the world. Along with our huge “City of Yes” win that will add 80,000 affordable homes and bring down the cost of housing all across the five boroughs, we announced our bold "Axe the Tax for the Working Class" plan that will eliminate and lower taxes for over 582,000 working-class New Yorkers and put $63 million back in their pockets. The Adams administration continues to give back to the New Yorkers who work tirelessly to make this city run.
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Week in Review | November 30 - December 6, 2024
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We want to showcase Veteran work and help spread the word! This is a space for Veteran artists to express themselves in an authentic way.
Please email submissions to connect@veterans.nyc.gov with a brief bio, an artist statement, art medium, and your affiliation to the Veteran community.
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Join Our Team! Be Part of the Mission!
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Site Reliability Engineer - This position will support and develop the agency’s core business applications while providing secured network connectivity, asset management, and technical support for a highly mobile team.
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VA Work Study Positions at DVS
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The NYC Department of Veterans' Services (DVS) supports VA Work-Study Positions! Here is a current list of available VA Work-Study openings:
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NYC Civil Service Job Openings and Exams
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To view all available job listings, visit the exam board here!
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If you received this newsletter by way of a friend or colleague and have yet to sign-up on your own, click here, and stay up-to-date with the latest news impacting the community, updates on city services, info on DVS programs, Veteran-specific resources & more.
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