Stay informed with these Veteran resources

Maximizing VA Benefits

• Department of Veterans Affairs
  Benefits, Recertification, Healthcare coverage, Burial Assistance

  • Points of contact:

    • Lyn Johnson, Veterans Outreach Specialist
      VA NY Harbor Healthcare System
      423 East 23rd Street Room 1107-C, New York, NY 10010
      Tel: (212)686-7500 ext. 4218
      Fax: (212)951-3401
      Email: Lyn.Johnson2@va.gov

• Samuel Cottes, Veterans Outreach Program Specialist

  • Staten Island Vet Center
    Readjustment Counseling Services
    60 Bay Street, Staten Island, New York 10301
    Tel: (718) 816-4499 ext. 7747
    Fax: (718) 448-5735
    Email: samuel.cottes@va.gov

New York City Resources

• Free financial counseling - click here for info

• COVID-19 information, precautions, vaccinations & boosters

• Michael J. Handy Veterans' Service Center
  Address: 25 Chapel Street, 6th Fl., Room 606, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  Phone: 718-222-2430
  Fax: 917-639-2517 | HDU Fax: 917-639-2518
  Monday – Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm
  Primarily services cash assistance cases in which at least one household member is a Veteran.

Navigating Civilian Resources

• Human Resources Administration

  • Medicaid

    • Medicaid office Locator

• Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (Food Stamps)

SNAP Centers

• Cash Assistance and Emergency Assistance

  • Job and Service Center Locator

• Social Security Administration

  • Retirement, Disability, Supplement Security Income

    • SSA Office Locator

• Lifetime Liberty Pass

  • Discounted use of state parks, historic sites, and recreational facilities ran by Office of parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Department of Environmental Conservation

    • Lifetime Liberty Pass Application

• ​Volunteers of Legal Service

  • Legal assistance with housing, Advanced Directives (Health Care Proxy), and Advance Planning (Last Will & Testament, Control of Remains, Power of Attorney).

    • Point of Contact:
      Jessica Penkoff, Staff Attorney
      Elderly Project & Veterans Initiative
      40 Worth Street, Suite 820, New York, NY 10013
      Tel: (347) 521-5725
      Email: jpenkoff@volsprobono.org

• Alliance Computing Solutions

  • A state-funded employment program that is offered at no cost. This program is open to veterans, families, and civilians. Career training opportunities offered are HHA/CNA, Accounting/Bookkeeping, Solar Technology, & Security Guard. 

    • Point of Contact:
      David Jenkins Jr, Veteran Outreach Specialist
      545 8th Ave, Suite 1210, New York, NY. 10018
      Tel: 212-868-5990
      Cell: 929-506-9525
      Email: david.jenkins@acs.edu

• Veteran Voices Newsletter

  • A magazine for veterans to share their stories, poems, and artistry

    • Email: vetvonews@gmail.com

• MaketheConnection.net

  • A website that connects veterans, their families and friends, and other supporters to mental health information, a tool for finding local mental health resources, and videos of Veterans sharing their inspiring stories of recovery. The site is free to use and accessible to everyone.

​Read our blog posts

Memories of Pearl Harbor: From a Football Game to an Unexpected Reunion in the Middle of Chaos

Free Legal Services: The Veterans Initiative at Volunteers of Legal Service helps make legal services more widely available to the members of our community.

​Intergenerational Bonds: How a Post 9/11 Veteran of Bay Ridge is Supporting Older Veterans