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Managing Editor CHICOPEE A veteran's information fair to be conducted in Chicopee came about because of the large number of people from Western Massachusetts who have been deployed, Del Barabani, Jr. said. Barabani, a Vietnam veteran himself and the senior vice commander of District Three of the American Legion, has helped organize the event on April 19 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Chicopee Public Library at 119 Front St. The free event is open to any veteran, current reserve or active duty military and their families. Barabani said the purpose of the information fair is "basically getting the information out to anyone who can use it." District Three of the American Legion has teamed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs in co-sponsoring the event, he said. Participating organizations include various city veteran service officers, the Holyoke Solider Home, the Disabled American Veterans, the American Red Cross, the Pioneer Valley USO, Operations Sharing Heart, and the Massachusetts State Veterans' Cemetery. He said the American Legion has a Family Support Network that is designed to assist families of deployed military personnel, but "hardly anyone knows about it." Barabani has written the commanders of National Guard and Reserve units alerting them of the event and hopes they will pass along the information to their personnel and families. There is no pre-registration necessary. Barabani said when people come to the event they will be asked to sign in, although he noted that is not mandatory. Each attendee will be given a map denoting where to find the representatives various organizations and offered assistance to find the group that can best answer their questions. "There's a lot of people deployed who are unaware of potential benefits," he said. |
