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Date: 6/21/2023
LUDLOW — Ludlow and its Veterans Services Department commemorated its new Veterans Center at 487 Holyoke St. with a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on April 29. Since then, it has proven a strong addition to the community, according to supporters.
“Its awesome just the having the space and flexible and being able to add services we were limited to doing at the Town Hall has been great,” Director of Veterans Services Eric Segundo said.
Veterans Services in Ludlow continues to support its veterans, their families, and its community in any way they can.
Segundo said, “Currently we have approximately 1,000 registered veterans residing in Ludlow. We also provide services to their families and widows, which is another couple of hundred. This center is not only for our veterans but also their families.”
Segundo said the Veterans Center also helps veterans from neighboring communities as well.
With the new center, the VFW started hosting a free luncheon on the second Tuesday of every month from 12 to 1 p.m. for veterans and their guest.
A reservation is required by calling 413-707-5050.
The first veterans luncheon at the new center was hosted by Building Bridges Veterans Initiative and sponsored by Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges VFW Post and served 70 lunches.
The second luncheon was hosted on June 13 and was also sold out.
Segundo said that the luncheons have been a success so far and a good opportunity for veterans and their families to socialize.
He added, “It’s a hit and a great opportunity to bring veterans out of the house, socializing, spending an hour with fellow veterans and their families here.”
The new Veterans Center also has a permanent food pantry with refrigeration.
Segundo said, “The permanent food pantry has doubled its participation since we left the Town Hall. We are serving double the number of families since we moved here. Having the new refrigeration unit that was donated by the state VFW has dramatically helped as well.”
Working out of Town Hall, the VFW was helping on average about 50 families a week but adding a second day that people can visit the food pantry has increased that to 100 families a week.
Segundo said the Veterans Center is expecting to also get a couple new freezers soon as well as some permanent cabinets to store food for the pantry.
“It is just going to enhance those services we could provide,” Segundo said.
The food pantry is open every Monday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
It will also be open on the first Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“Food insecurity has been one of the biggest issues facing our veterans’ population in recent years,” Segundo said, “This is another resource to support our veterans and their families.”
The Sgt. Joshua D. Desforges VFW Post 3236 is also seeking help from the community for donations of non-perishable unexpired, unopened food items to help fill their shelves.
Segundo said items such as canned soup, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned meat, pasta, rice, whole grain breakfast cereals, pasta sauce and cooking oils, crackers, breakfast bars, non-refrigerated milks, condiments and more would be appreciated.
The food pantry will also distribute personal care items so any unopened/unused personal care items can also be donated to the Veterans Department, and they will distribute them along with groceries.
The U.S. Veterans Health Administration began universal food insecurity screening in 2017. This study examined prevalence and correlates of food insecurity among veterans screened.
Of the approximately 3 million veterans screened for food insecurity, 44,298 were positive on their initial screen, 13% of men and 20% of women.
The number of veterans who face food insecurities continues to rise but the new Veterans Center is trying to combat and decrease that number in Ludlow.
The center also has a dedicated space for veterans to use the computer to either telehealth with their doctors, schedule appointments, job search or resume build, with the printer and fax machine for access for that as well.
Since the opening, the VFW has been able to get the VA Veterans Center to come in the first Thursday of every month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to provide outreach services.
Segundo said, “It helps to alleviate travel from here to West Springfield if a veteran was needing any assistance through the Vet Center. The telehealth computer is there, and the office space is there as well. I believe this center is going to become a regional outreach center for veterans I think as time goes on and word gets around, more and more veterans from the community will come here seeking services as well as utilizing the different programs.”