VESID NewsletterVESID Newsletter
VESID PARTICIPATES IN FIRST HOMELESS VETERANS “STAND-DOWN”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy’s Veterans Service Agency Holds First Homeless “Stand-Down” on Friday, April 20, 2007. This was the first event of its kind in Suffolk County, held at the Health, Sports and Education Center on the Brentwood Campus of Suffolk County Community College. This event was targeted to Veterans who were not knowledgeable of or “disenfranchised” from community services that they might benefit from.
This coordinated effort by the Office of the County Executive/Suffolk County Veteran Services Agency brought together over 165 volunteers and 30 Federal, State, and County agencies to provide information and referral in a “One Stop” venue. Additionally, volunteers were on hand to guide each attending veteran “one on one” through the myriad of tables and services that included several Veterans agencies, health, mental health, housing, and other benefits advisement and employment services. Veterans were able to choose from donations of clothing, eye glasses, food pantry and other “take away” items as well as have showers and haircuts.
VESID Hauppauge staff, Susin Packert/Director/Placement Services, Jose Uribe/Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Cathy Dixon/Counselor Assistant were on hand to provide information about VESID services. Our team was able to speak with 60 Veterans that day, providing applications and a source of contact for additional information. They were advised of VESID’s on-going efforts to reach out to the Veterans and encouraged to apply through our “fast track” process for Veterans.
For us, a big highlight of the day was meeting Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy who stated that he was familiar with VESID services and praised the agency for our good works.
BRAVO to Julie Petrone of the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency for putting together this successful event!
We look forward to participating in next year’s event.
(Photograph Courtesy of Henry Mangles, Suffolk County Executive’s Office)
Questions or comments:
Contact Susin Packert
Phone: (631) 952-6713
spackert@mail.nysed.gov