ANNVILLE — The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ (DMVA) commitment to provide benefits to the state’s nearly 800,000 veterans during COVID-19 has yielded stronger collaboration with county and federal advocates.
“Veterans are an important part of Pennsylvania’s population, having served our country by fighting for our freedoms and keeping us safe,” said Maj. Gen. (ret.) Eric Weller, deputy adjutant general of Veterans Affairs at DMVA. “Now we are fighting a different kind of war and veterans need our help more than ever during these times of uncertainty. The Office of Veterans Affairs has steadily fielded thousands of queries from veterans about their much-needed benefits.”
For veterans, filing for state and federal benefits often begins with meeting with their county director of veterans affairs. The DMVA has provided counties with extra assistance responding to veterans to assure their needs are met during the pandemic. This has been done mostly through the use of virtual technology and closer coordination with the county and service organization veteran service officers.
The DMVA also collaborated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to host two Pennsylvania-specific virtual town hall meetings that saw nearly 100,000 veterans and family members participate.
“Serving veterans effectively has to be a collaborative effort on the local, state and federal levels,” said Weller. “Planning, networking and relationship building are the keys to success, and that is exactly what we have been able to leverage during COVID-19.”
In addition to connecting with a county director or an accredited veteran service organization, Weller recommends that every one of Pennsylvania’s veterans sign up for the DMVA Veterans Registry, a free tool that electronically delivers timely information about the many state benefits, programs and services available to veterans. Veterans, family members and people who work with veterans can sign up by computer or mobile device at www.register.dmva.pa.gov.
For more about the DMVA visit www.dmva.pa.gov or follow www.facebook.com/padmva or www.twitter.com/padmva.
