Showing posts with label Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

VA actively pursuing young soldiers

Aid for all veterans
Wilkes Barre Times-Leader - Wilkes Barre,PA,USA
VA actively pursuing young soldiers
DAWN ZERA Times Leader Correspondent
PLAINS TWP. – When Colleen Kaskel first joined the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center as acting Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom manager, about 3,000 veterans of those conflicts had sought VA services.

That was a year ago; now there are about 4,100 – an increase the Veterans Administration has worked hard for, as the agency tries to communicate to a younger generation of soldiers that services are available once they leave the military.

“There recently was a concentrated effort, to reach every person who has served, through nationwide and global phone calls to those who have been discharged,” Kaskel said. “Out of that, we got about 63 veterans who had never been here before. Now, those phone calls will be done on a yearly basis.”

The local VA center serves more than 207,000 veterans in 19 Pennsylvania counties and one New York county, with outpatient clinics in Allentown, Berwick, Bangor, Sayre, Tobyhanna, Williamsport and Schuylkill County. A long list of health and welfare services includes a women’s veterans program, readjustment counseling, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder services, pharmacy, pastoral counseling, an eye clinic and even smoking cessation.
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Friday, August 15, 2008

Veterans Affairs office sees dramatic increase in benefits

In Clearfield ... Veterans Affairs office sees dramatic increase in benefits
Thursday, August 14, 2008
By Jeff Corcino Staff Writer
The Clearfield County Veterans Affairs Office has had a "banner year," Domenick Kurtz, director, said at Tuesday's meeting of the Clearfield County Commissioners.

According to Mr. Kurtz, Clearfield County veterans received $541,323 through compensation and pension awards processed through the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. This is up substantially from 2006-07 when county veterans received a total of $152,767 in 2005-06 and $94,674 in 2004-05.

Mr. Kurtz credited the staff of the county veterans affairs office for the dramatic increase in benefits going to the county's veterans. According to Mr. Kurtz, veterans benefits can be very complex and often they need help in "connecting the dots" in getting the benefits that are due them.
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http://www.theprogressnews.com/default.asp?read=13711