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. 

New York, NY—The New York City Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) is proud to highlight the important initiatives undertaken by our agency in 2024. From addressing critical issues such as food insecurity and mental health to fostering educational opportunities and economic empowerment, DVS has worked tirelessly to ensure that those who have served our nation receive the support, recognition, and resources they deserve. These achievements were made possible through strategic partnerships with fellow agencies, community organizations, and devoted advocates, demonstrating the power of collaboration in strengthening the bonds within the New York City Veteran community.

Advancing the Post-9/11 Fallen Service Member Memorial
In collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), and through the guidance and direction of the memorial advisory committee, DVS announced a shortlist of artists selected to design the Post-9/11 Fallen Service Member Memorial: Joan Benefiel, Douwe Blumberg, Cloud Architecture, and Joseph O’Connell. This monument will be located in Whitestone, Queens, and honor the 7,064 U.S. Service Members who sacrificed their lives in Overseas Contingency Operations, including nearly 100 from New York City. The memorial aims to serve as a lasting tribute and a place of reflection for all New Yorkers.
 
Expanding the Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Program
To combat veteran isolation and promote emotional wellness, DVS accepted proposals for the Private First-Class Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program and will announce selected organizations for funding in early 2025. Recognizing that one in four NYC-based service members and veterans experience loneliness, this program will seek to offer peer mentorship and support groups, empowering the veteran community through connection and shared experiences.
 
Hosting the Greater NYC Military and Veteran Family Transition Summit
DVS, in partnership with Craig Newmark New York Tri-State Blue Star Families Chapter and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, hosted the inaugural Greater New York City Veteran and Military Family Summit at Yankee Stadium. This event, part of a series including a summit at Citi Field with the New York Mets, provided transitioning service members, veterans, and their families with resources on employment, housing, wellness, and finance, fostering community engagement in iconic venues. [READ MORE...]

The NYS Office of General Services curatorial team is seeking wartime correspondence between New York Vietnam-era veterans and their family, friends, and loved ones for an upcoming exhibit recognizing the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Letters From/To Home will be on view in New York State’s Vietnam Gallery and Memorial located at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY beginning in May 2025. If you or your family have letters and would like to participate in this important project, please contact: Kathleen Brousseau, Assistant Curator at  Kathleen Brousseau Kathleen.Brousseau@ogs.ny.gov and Sara Hill, Outreach Specialist at Sara Hill Sara.Hill@ogs.ny.gov. 

VETERAN NEWS

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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 creating equitable access to affordable transportation. Last week, we announced the expansion of Citi Bike in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. This expansion will add more than 250 new stations and 2,900 new bikes and bring Citi Bike service to more than 900,000 additional New Yorkers. Now, 64 percent of New Yorkers, or 5.6 million people, will live within five-minute walk of Citi Bike station. This is just the latest way we are addressing transportation access and cost, including expanding student Metro Cards and half-price fares. New Yorkers in lower-income neighborhoods deserve the same access as New Yorkers in wealthier neighborhoods, and the Adams administration is committed to building a more affordable, more equitable, and more sustainable transportation system in all five boroughs for working-class New Yorkers.

Being part of our team is a great way to continue to serve.

Visit NYC.gov/jobs and select “Veterans’ Services” from the agency menu to learn more about and apply to the job below.
 

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.