ERIE — Veterans and their families are invited to attend a free one-stop shop with VA services and a variety of community resources during the Veteran Resource Fair from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 19 at the Veterans Memorial Home in Port Allegany.
The event, hosted by the McKean County Community Veteran Engagement Board, will begin with a brief welcome and a public forum to highlight several key services available on-site including:
• Erie VA Medical Center (VAMC) & McKean VA Clinic health experts will provide free blood pressure screenings and flu shots (if available) for veterans eligible for VA services
• Erie VA Eligibility & Enrollment representatives
• Erie VAMC Behavioral Health Clinic staff to provide information about mental health services
• Erie VAMC Women Veterans Program staff
• Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) representatives to answer questions about benefits and/or claims
• University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will have representatives on-site from the admissions office to discuss educational opportunities at Pitt-Bradford and the use of GI-Bill/Veterans Benefits
• Vet Center to provide information about readjustment counseling available to combat veterans
• McKean County & Community Veteran Service Officers to assist veterans in filing claims
• PA CareerLink to support veteran job seekers and family members who are looking for employment
Veterans who have never enrolled in VA healthcare are invited to bring a copy of their DD-214 service discharge papers and speak with an eligibility representative on site to see if they are eligible for VA services. Veterans interested in speaking to a VBA representative or a county service officer about filing a claim should also bring a copy of their DD-214.
The Veterans Resource Fair & Town Hall is sponsored by the McKean County Community Veteran Engagement Board and hosted by the Port Allegany Veterans Memorial Home located at 4743 Route 155, Port Allegany. This engagement board is aimed at opening the line of communication between veterans, VA and community stakeholders.
For more information, contact Zach Pearson at 887-3241 or Byron Sutton at 363-9100.
