Local offices show commitment to veteransDate: 11/8/2021 WESTERN MASS. – Veterans Day highlights the revered sacrifices of military members across the country. While the time-honored holiday serves as an important gesture of acknowledgement, it also reignites the nationwide desire to support veterans in their transition back to civilian life.
In honor of the holiday, Reminder Publishing has reached out to veteran’s agents across the county to highlight the essential services their organizations offer. From physical ailments to fiscal assistance, these agencies provide a crucial support system through a variety of services.
Belchertown
Belchertown Veterans Agent Charly Olivia said her office offers a variety of services for veterans.
“We kind of call ourselves a one-stop shop for veterans, if there are benefits we cannot provide for example, medical, educational or financial planning like mortgages, then we can at least give the information and refer outwards,” she said.
Specifically, Olivia said she helps veterans file Chapter 115 and Veterans Affairs (VA) claims.
“My primary job is Chapter 115 benefits, which is a Massachusetts-specific public assistance for veterans and their dependents. We also do VA claims, the federal claims for service-related disabilities or pensions, aid in attendance and a number of different applications on the federal side we can assist with,” she said.
She added her job also involves helping place homeless veterans and helping veterans find food or pay for prescriptions.
“There is no other job I would want to be doing, I have been doing this for about 14 years and hope to be able to do it at least another 14 years. Other than my family it gives me a good reason to get up in the morning and it really is probably for me one of the most fulfilling jobs I ever could have ended up in,” Olivia said.
Olivia said she has seen a difference in the services the younger and older veterans are looking for.
“The younger veterans coming home needed to be guided toward VA services and did not really know where to go specifically. A lot of them would get into schools or training and find a job and then we would never hear from them, or others would deal with addiction issues,” she said. “The older generation that has paid their dues and retired are more in need of medical services because unfortunately the retirement is not keeping up with the cost-of-living changes.”
Olivia added that many of the older veterans are physically unable to work even if they would like to.
Belchertown Veterans Services is located at 2 Jabish St. and can be reached at 323-0409.
Central Hampshire Veterans Services
Steven Connor, the director of Central Hampshire Veteran’s Services, told Reminder Publishing that his organization offers several accommodations to veterans.
“We’re supposed to be a one-stop shop for anyone who’s been in the military … for anyone who wants to know what’s out there for them,” said Connor. These services may include assisting with home loans, educational and job benefits based off of the post-9/11 G.I. Bill, and how to get enrolled in health care. Connor also helps veterans find compensation if they are disabled, and where they should go to find that money.
“We basically assist with all that interaction with the federal government,” Connor added.
One of the major aspects of Veteran’s Services in Northampton is their financial assistance program that allows veterans to have a minimal amount of money for necessities like food, clothing and/or housing. Veteran’s Services offers this money to veterans who are mainly out of work, have a disability, or veterans who are on a fixed income because they are retired. If the veteran is married, then this money goes to both people.
“We supplement a lot of folks who are retired on fixed incomes or who are on disability,” said Connor, adding that he also helps with finding tax breaks for veterans who are struggling financially. “Massachusetts is the only state that does something like that, especially locally.”
Since Connor became Northampton’s veteran’s services officer in 2004, the organization has added 10 more communities to their list of places they serve. Outside of Northampton, they also assist veterans in Amherst, Williamsburg, Pelham, Chesterfield, Cummington, Hadley, Middlefield and in the VA Medical Center in Leeds.
“It used to be that people thought veteran agents were there to do the parades and ceremonies, but there is so much more, especially since 9/11,” said Connor.
According to the director, there are a variation of needs that must be met when veterans approach this organization, especially when it comes to younger and older veterans. Connor said that World War II and Vietnam War veterans usually experience hearing loss because of poor protection of the ears while in war. He said that one person told him that cigarette butts were used back then to protect ears. Other old-time war veterans sometimes need wounds checked regularly too, especially if they have not healed properly.
The veterans of today, especially those post-9/11, experience other health issues from burn pits, which lead to many soldiers inhaling dangerous toxins. “A lot of them have asthma or breathing problems,” said Connor, who is also a U.S. Navy veteran himself.
He told Reminder Publishing that when he was part of the military, the G.I. Bill supplemented some of the costs for school, but he still had to deal with student loans and other expenses by himself. The G.I. Bill – which has been updated numerous times since World War I – pays for school and provides extra money for housing since its newest iteration came into fruition after 9/11.
When speaking on something citizens should know about when it comes to the local veteran population, Connor said that more people should be aware of the isolation some homebound soldiers may feel as they are reintegrated into society.
“I think we’ve isolated this population because there’s not as many,” said Connor. “They’re really struggling to get reintegrated into the community because they know that people don’t know what they’ve done or what they’ve been through.”
A lot of the times, according to Connor, people will say, “Thank you for your service” and walk away. Most of the time, this is appreciated – especially by the older veterans – but Connor said that more people should try to additionally grasp a better understanding of what these veterans have been through to develop that connection.
“[People] don’t really ask,” said Connor. “They just say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ and they feel relieved that they did something good. In a sense it’s good, but it’s not enough.”
Veteran’s Services is in Northampton on 240 Main St., Suite #4. They are open Monday and Wednesday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., as well as Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Chicopee
Director of the Department of Veterans’ Services Stephanie Shaw serves as a central liaison between veterans and the crucial services they seek. As the area’s veteran agency, Shaw said her department works to help administrator income and medical expense support for qualified veterans and surviving spouses. She also discussed her department’s role in administrating events surrounding military service, including orchestrating Veteran’s Day, Memorial’s Day, and other significant military days. “We make sure that the public is educated about what’s happening and the history behind these events,” said Shaw.
Shaw and her office also connect veterans with state and federal services, including disability and health care claims. “Navigating all of these independently can be really overwhelming. We just want to make sure people are aware of what the possibilities are,” said Shaw. When it comes to veterans who served across different generations or military branches, Shaw explained that there are only a few differences in terms of benefits. “Because federal and state benefits are mandated by laws and laws change, not everything applies to everyone the same way. That can be confusing, so we are always happy to help clarify or help people be guided to what is applicable for them,” said Shaw.
The office is at 36 Center St. and the phone number is 594-3470.
East Longmeadow and Hampden
Many Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) serve more than one community. Michelle Barrett serves the Eastern Hampden County Veteran’s Service District, which encompasses East Longmeadow, Hampden and Wales. Across the three towns,she sees to the needs of 2,100 veterans, the majority of which are in East Longmeadow. Barrett helps many vets MGL Chapter 115 services but also said that western Massachusetts has resources that many veterans aren’t aware of, including a free grocery store for veterans in the former 99 Restaurant at the Eastfield Mall.
For veterans who are hesitant to ask for help, Barrett previously told Reminder Publishing, encouragement from friends and family can help. To reach out to veterans in East Longmeadow, Barrett hosts a “coffee hour” open to veterans and their loved ones.
Barrett can be reached at 525-5400 ext. 1416. From from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Barrett can be found at the Pleasant View Senior Center, 328 N. Main St. in East Longmeadow Monday, Wednesday and Friday and at the Hampden Senior Center on Tuesday.
Holyoke
Holyoke Veteran Services Director Jesus Pereira shared with Reminder Publishing that their Holyoke Veterans Services office is a busy office – one that deals with everything and anything relating to veterans. “It’s A to Z, it’s a very emotional job. It really takes a toll on us,” Pereira said. “I have a great team in our office, they really are the backbone of our operation.”
There is a wide variety of services that the Holyoke Veterans Services office provides to veterans, with Pereira sharing the local programs are “robust.” He noted that in Chapter 115 programs through Holyoke’s office, veterans who have income levels under the poverty level can have medical premiums reimbursed and co-payments reimbursed, they can assist with homelessness, offer aid when a veteran is moving and more.
In addition, the Holyoke Veteran Services office has two national service officers who are accredited to file claims for benefits for veterans. Pereira noted, “Our office has been somewhat a leader in the area,” when it comes to putting claims together in a fashion that better suit the veteran. He shared that their office works in partnership with local nonprofits, including but not limited to Project New Hope out of Westfield, Community Roots in Holyoke which hosts a veterans lunch every Thursday, Soldier On, Veterans Inc., Suit up Springfield, Springfield Partners.
Pereira explained that they are a community partner, working with groups from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and the state, as well as being an advocate on different boards, including the Soldiers Home Coalition, which Pereira himself sits on. He shared that they advocate for changes in legislation and assist other agents getting involved in advocacy with legislators.
As the holiday season approaches, Pereira explained that though this is the time of year where people are getting together with families and there is a higher demand on financial resources, veterans that they serve are “getting hit pretty tough,” and may not have the means to provide a Thanksgiving Day meal or Christmas meal for their families. Pereira said that they have a few community partners that will give out turkeys to these veterans and their families, as well as donations for Christmas.
Looking forward to 2022, Pereira hopes that they will be able to continue to support the transportation vehicle that was recently implemented for veteran use. He shared that the process is simple: if a veteran needs to go to the grocery store, an appointment or run an errand, they can call the office any time between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to schedule a ride for transportation. He shared that the goal is to make this transportation permanent, and to help veterans get away from having to use mass transit. He said while efficient, mass transit can expose veterans to sicknesses; the vehicle used by the veterans office is sterilized after every use.
He closed, “When veterans of Holyoke need assistance, they can stop at our office and we can help them...just about everything a veteran may need, our office can assist them with directly.”
The Holyoke Veterans Services office is located at 310 Appleton St., and can be reached at 322-5630.
Longmeadow
Lena Vellturo left corporate America to become a VSO. “Four years later I still wake up every day excited to go to work and help people.”
In Longmeadow, Vellturo helps more than 1,000 veterans with VA claims, delivers food to homebound veterans and hosts monthly meetings for vets from around the area to come together, socialize and learn about resources that are available to them.
The town’s Veteran Service Office just moved into a new state-of-the-art Adult Community Center. During the office’s transition, she said she wants veterans to know that they can call her at any time for help, even when she is not physically in the office.
When it comes to the services needed, she emphasized that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, some of whom served twenty years ago, are beginning to age. “They’re going to need more healthcare for the things they dealt with over there.” Vellturo expanded on this, explaining that veterans who have served since the military began using “burn pits” to dispose of their industrial and organic waste have a separate set of health issues than older veterans.
She told Reminder Publishing a story about a friend who often worked the burn pits and, despite being under 40 years old, has had three heart attacks since her service.
“Agent Orange changed everything,” Vellturo said, “but with Iraq and Afghanistan, I think there’ll be health problems we haven’t even seen yet.”
She also explained that more veterans have reached out to her since the pandemic began to avail themselves of mental health services. Many have been impacted by the American pullout from Afghanistan, she said. “The way we departed Kabul, I think they feel they lost a lot.”
Ludlow
Like the other Veteran Services offices in the area, Ludlow Director of Veterans Services Eric Segundo said he helps veterans file Chapter 115 claims for income claims and seeking Veterans Affairs benefits.
Segundo said one of the biggest issues he has run into is veterans not using benefits, which could lead to cuts in the future.
“Many choose not to utilize the benefits so someone else more in need can use them. The biggest problem is if there are not enough people using the benefits it will lead to closures. We need to use the benefits; veterans have fought many times for these benefits,” he said. “It hurts the younger generation if the veterans do not use the benefits now.”
Segundo said there does tend to be a bit of a difference in the services requested by younger and older veterans, veterans of all ages request benefits.
“Younger vets tend to file more claims for services connected to disabilities. They also tend to be looking into our new programs, but it is a mix of all generations. We still also see much older veterans requesting benefits for the first time,” he said.
Segundo said it is important to him to be able to help veterans in the community.
“To be able to assist a vet, their family or widow is heartwarming. In some cases, vets are in dire straits and the aid we provide can be life changing for them,” he said.
Ludlow Veterans Services is located 488 Chapin St., and can be reached by phone at 583-5600 ext. 1290.
South Hadley-Easthampton Veterans Service District
Michael Slater, director of the South Hadley-Easthampton Veterans Service District, he detailed what the city of Easthampton has to offer to their veteran residents.
“For the most part, my office administers the Chapter 115 program, which is a financial support program for low-income veterans through the state of Massachusetts,” Slater said. “We also offer VA, claim assistance and all kinds of different applications for various VA services.” The Chapter 115 Program provides financial assistance for qualifying low-income veterans for food, shelter, clothing, housing supplies and medical care.
Easthampton also offers a great deal of housing for local veterans. “There's a bunch of veterans single room occupancy, housing units here in Easthampton, that are run through South Middlesex Opportunities Council (SMOC),” said Slater. There is also Evan’s House, which is a privately run sober living house for veterans.
Slater also mentioned a coffee hour event that the Veterans Service District hosts monthly. “The third Thursday of every month we do the coffee hour at the senior center. It's open to any age,” said Slater. “It just gets us all in one spot so we can, work through if they've got questions or anything like that.”
Slater hopes to hold more events like this in the future. “As the world opens back up, the plan is to start a quarterly evening veteran benefit briefing where people can just come in to sit down and do VA healthcare enrollment,” Slater explained. “So, for three hours, I'll just sit in one spot and we'll publicize it and then the veterans can just come and, and we can do their applications and put something like that for all the different benefits that are out there.”
Along with the district, veterans can also find services from the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, which are both located in town. “The American Legion and the VFW are all here to help veterans in the Easthampton area,” he said.
South Hadley-Easthampton Veterans Service District is located in Easthampton on 19 Union St. They are open Monday through Friday by appointment.
Springfield
Springfield offers a variety of outlets for veterans to receive important services. Director of the Department of Veterans Services Thomas M. Belton shared that his office works to help find financial support and housing for veterans and surviving spouses in need. “We assist veterans on a daily basis, each veterans service office is charted to help veterans in need 365 days a year,” said Belton.
Along with providing financial support, the city also features the Springfield Veterans Administrations Clinic. The clinic is one of five located across Massachusetts, offering physical and mental care for any veteran in need. Their offices are located at 25 Bond St., and can be reached at 731-6000.
Westfield
Westfield Director of Veterans’ Services Julie Barnes said there are not too many World War II veterans who come in to see her anymore. She talked about one exception, a 105-year-old WWII nurse who comes to her office in the Westfield Senior Center at 45 Noble St, Room 114. to visit. “She’s an amazing woman and I admire her,” Barnes said.
Barnes said mostly Korean and Vietnam veterans need assistance now, and a lot of times, their widows who are left behind. Massachusetts is the only state in the country that has veterans benefits for widows as well as veterans, and she said not everybody knows about it.
One of the problems in getting out the word is that the only list of veterans that Barnes has is the census, which does not ask if you are a family member or widow of a veteran. “I can’t reach veterans’ spouses,” she said, adding that all she can do is go to City Hall and write letters to spouses saying they might be eligible.
Benefits for widows, which are given through Chapter 115, include monetary benefits based on income and assets, and paying for health benefits, which she said can make a big difference.
“I have seen quite a few widows come in. I have also seen a few younger veterans looking for work who are unemployed or underemployed,” Barnes said. She said there are monetary benefits available to help, and her office also helps them look for jobs. Any veteran who has served over 90 days of active duty is qualified for services.
“In the town, there are about 1,931 veterans who are listed on the census. We usually round that up to 2,000, approximately five percent of the population,” Barnes said. She said the percentage is a little higher than average in both Westfield and Chicopee due to Westover and Barnes Air Force bases.
Barnes said she sees quite a few Westfield residents every day. The services they offer run the gamut, including helping veterans to get their discharge papers, food and clothing vouchers, getting people enrolled in VA health care, and applying to get a portion of property taxes waived for veterans on disability. The office also gives referrals to other organizations serving veterans.
Another local program Westfield offers is a specially issued Veterans and Prior Service ID card for people who served in the National Guard or Reserve, who are not eligible for veterans benefits in Massachusetts. The program offers deals and discounts to veterans who show the local ID card at participating businesses in town.
Barnes said she got the idea from the communities of Wilbraham and Palmer who have also implemented the program. Barnes said the best thing for Westfield veterans who are looking for services to do, is to come and see them. “If they think they’re eligible for anything, come into our office and see us. if we can’t do anything for them here, there are so many services that are out there that we can refer them to and get them the help they need,” she said.
The Veterans Services office may be reached by phone at 572-6247.
West Springfield
Veterans Service Director Nick Smith obtained this position about one year ago. Over the past year, he shared that he has assisted veterans in offsetting their finances, finding services for people that may struggle with mental health, along with doing outreach to find new veterans in town.
According to Smith, West Springfield is home to a few thousand veterans. At any given time, the number of people the Veterans Services helps may fluctuate, but the average is around 50.
Based on the Chapter 115, Smith said he is only able to serve people who reside in West Springfield; however, he is able to assist a homeless veteran – no matter what.
Smith was on active duty in the Army for five years. When he got out in 2010, he said, “I had no idea what a veterans service organization even was.” Now working with veterans daily, he hopes to inform veterans both young and old, of the services that they are able to receive.
Although there are some similarities between the different generations of veterans, Smith said there are many differences. “There are a lot more services now than back then,” making it somewhat easier for the young generation. For instance, due to the rapid expansion of technology, some older folks may find difficulty in signing up for benefits or even filling out paperwork online.
Smith said he has met a lot of veterans who are unaware that they can enter the Veterans Health Administration system. For those who are not yet in this system, Smith encourages vets to contact him directly for assistance. He can be contacted at nsmith@tows.org or 263-3019. The Veterans Services in West Springfield is located at 26 Central St.
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