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A Look Back at Key Accomplishments
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How We're Serving Veterans Today
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Looking Forward:
What's Next for DVS
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In April 2016, NYC created the Department of Veterans' Services (DVS) to honor the City's veterans and their families. DVS became the first standalone City agency in the country dedicated to serving its veteran population. Over the past five years, the agency has moved rapidly to connect, mobilize, and empower NYC's veterans, in addition to their caregivers, survivors, and families.
Join us as we celebrate our five-year anniversary by looking back at our key accomplishments, promoting the services we're currently providing, and looking forward to what's next:
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A Look Back at Key Accomplishments:
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Spotlight: Over 1000 Veterans Housed
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Joycelyn Miller becomes the 1,000th veteran to be housed by DVS.
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DVS's top priority is the rapid rehousing of all veterans who experience homelessness. Our team of Veteran Peer Coordinators (VPCs) provides direct, peer-to-peer assistance to veterans in NYC's shelter system. VPCs work tirelessly to find and secure transitional and permanent housing for our constituents. Despite not being physically in shelters during the pandemic, our VPCs worked with veterans to complete the necessary steps to help them move into a new home. Earlier this year, Joycelyn Miller (pictured above) became the 1,000th veteran to be housed by our VPCs. DVS Commissioner James Hendon and Mayor Bill de Blasio threw Miller a housewarming party at her new one-bedroom apartment.
Providing secure housing is the least we can do for those who protected our freedoms. If you, or a veteran you know, are experiencing homelessness, contact DVS at 212-416-5250 or connect@veterans.nyc.gov.
NYC has reduced veteran homelessness by nearly 90% since 2011. DVS has housed 1,011 veterans as of this week. Learn more about our efforts to end veteran homelessness.
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Making calls. Distributing face masks. Preparing meal kits. Housing the homeless. Processing VA benefits claims. Learn how NYC supported veterans throughout 2020.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, DVS launched food outreach initiatives, began processing VA claims, made support calls, continued to house veterans experiencing homelessness, and handed out over 38,000 face masks to veterans and their families. Watch our 2020 recap video to learn how we responded to one of the worst crises NYC has ever faced.
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How We're Serving Veterans Today
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Working with our partners, DVS has distributed out over 100,000 food packages and meal kits since the start of COVID-19.
To request food, click here.
To learn how to volunteer to prepare meal kits, contact DVS at connect@veterans.nyc.gov.
In addition to our long-running food outreach efforts, we're also co-hosting Veterans-Only Pop-Ups with the NYC Department of Probation to provide veterans and their families free groceries, dairy, and produce. Swing by to pick up free food or spread the word:
WHEN:
Thursday, April 15th | 9:00 am -12:00 pm
Thursday, April 29th | 9:00 am -12:00 pm
WHERE: 198 E 161 Street, Bronx NY, 10451 (parking lot)
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As part of the Mission: VetCheck, initiative, volunteers call NYC veterans to provide information on free meals, COVID-19 updates, and mental health resources. Mission: VetCheck has placed over 27,000 calls to veterans throughout the City since last Memorial Day.
To sign up as a volunteer or to request a check-in call, click here.
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Approximately 6,692 veterans living in NYC are eligible for, but do not receive, their VA benefits. To alleviate this issue, DVS began assisting veterans in filing VA claims so they can receive the benefits they have earned. To schedule an online appointment with a VA-accredited DVS staff member who can represent you in your claim, contact DVS at claims@veterans.nyc.gov or 212-416-5250. To learn more, click here.
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Veteran Voices Project:
Capturing NYC Veterans' Oral History
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If you are a veteran and would like to preserve your story with the Veteran Voices Project, click here.
We need volunteers to interview and record veteran storytellers over the phone. To volunteer as an interviewer, click here.
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Listen to full recordings of veterans sharing their stories at our Veterans Voices Project oral history library.
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Weekly COVID-19 Updates & Vaccine Outreach
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DVS Commissioner James Hendon Urges Veterans to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine
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Each week, we dedicate a section of our weekly newsletter to COVID-19 updates including information on making a vaccine appointment, changes to vaccine eligibility, the latest guidelines from the CDC, and NYC COVID case and vaccine distribution rates. Our weekly COVID-19 updates also include the latest information from the VA and local VA medical centers. To share the newsletter or encourage a friend to subscribe, forward this link.
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NYC Veteran & Military Community Survey
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You’ve done a lot for your country. Tell NYC policymakers what they can do for you!
DVS is conducting a survey to better understand the needs of NYC's veterans, service members, military families, and caregivers. We're going to use survey responses to create new policies that best serve you and your family. Take the Veteran and Military Community Survey to help make NYC the best home in the country for your community.
Your response will remain anonymous unless you opt-in to receive support services from DVS. Take the survey here!
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Local Veteran Business Map
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DVS is devoted to promoting veteran entrepreneurship and supporting veteran-owned businesses. This spring, DVS will launch an online interactive map to make it easier for New Yorkers to find Veteran-Owned Businesses (VOBs) in their community.
The VOB map will launch soon. In the meantime:
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