VESID Newsletter
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
JULY 2007
VESID PARTICIPATES IN FIRST HOMELESS VETERANS “STAND-DOWN”
Suffolk
County Executive Steve Levy’s Veterans Service Agency Holds First Homeless “Stand-Down” on
Friday, April 20, 2007. This was the first event of its kind in Suffolk County,
held at the Health, Sports and Education Center on the Brentwood Campus of
Suffolk County Community College. This event was targeted to Veterans who were
not knowledgeable of or “disenfranchised” from community services
that they might benefit from.
This coordinated effort by the Office of the County Executive/Suffolk County
Veteran Services Agency brought together over 165 volunteers and 30 Federal,
State, and County agencies to provide information and referral in a “One
Stop” venue. Additionally, volunteers were on hand to guide each attending
veteran “one on one” through the myriad of tables and services
that included several Veterans agencies, health, mental health, housing, and
other benefits advisement and employment services. Veterans were able to choose
from donations of clothing, eye glasses, food pantry and other “take
away” items as well as have showers and haircuts.
VESID Hauppauge staff, Susin Packert/Director/Placement Services, Jose Uribe/Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselor and Cathy Dixon/Counselor Assistant were on hand to
provide information about VESID services. Our team was able to speak with 60
Veterans that day, providing applications and a source of contact for additional
information. They were advised of VESID’s on-going efforts to reach out
to the Veterans and encouraged to apply through our “fast track” process
for Veterans.
For us, a big highlight of the day was meeting Suffolk County Executive Steve
Levy who stated that he was familiar with VESID services and praised the agency
for our good works.
BRAVO to Julie Petrone of the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency for putting
together this successful event!
We look forward to participating in next year’s event.
(Photograph Courtesy of Henry Mangles, Suffolk County
Executive’s Office)
Questions or comments:
Contact Susin Packert
Phone: (631) 952-6713
spackert@mail.nysed.gov
The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its recruitment, educational programs, services and activities.