Vets' Dedication Endures Long After Military Service

Director Kelly Fitzpatrick

Every day, I have the privilege of meeting remarkable veterans from all walks of life and all branches of service who have served our country with honor and distinction. We are a proud community whose members strive to ensure those to our left and to our right are doing well, and that no one is left behind.

Nonetheless, the contributions veterans continue to make long after their military service is complete never cease to amaze me, like that of Oregon’s Lakeview Veterans Interagency Hotshot Crew, the nation’s first hotshot crew made up entirely of military veterans (pages 12-13) or retired Army Col. Betty Pomeroy’s passionate dedication toproviding veterans and their families with safe and affordable housing (pages 16-18).

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is committed to functionally ending veteran homelessness in Oregon. In partnership with the Oregon Housing and Community Services and in support of the Governor Kate Brown’s priority to provide long-term affordable housing solutions for Oregon veterans, ODVA is working with community partners across the state to fund innovative solutions to help veterans avoid homelessness, transition into permanent housing and obtain short-term housing security.

Last year, ODVA developed and implemented grants that used Ballot Measure 96 lottery funding for veteran services. One of those is the Veterans Services Grant that awarded funds directly to community service providers that assist veterans in their communities across a broad spectrum of needs like homelessness, behavioral health, legal and other services.

This work is already providing positive outcomes for veterans in our state. Although the work is still in an early stage, success stories from grant recipients are encouraging. These funds are being used for “boots on the ground” services like those provided by Officer Day of the Oregon City Police Department, who is literally helping one veteran at a time to get off the streets while waiting for permanent housing.

Another grantee, Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, launched its Rides to Wellness program in Union and Baker counties for veterans in need of rides to medical appointments. They have already provided veterans with more than 1,800 rides. For many veterans, transportation is health care.

As ODVA awaits the legislatively approved 2019-2021 biennial budget, we remain focused on providing leadership and advocacy to ensure Oregon veterans are able to access the VA benefits they earned. Toward that end, ODVA continues to partner with communities and organizations that are well positioned to deliver services to our veterans across a diverse range of needs.

Together, we continue to make a difference in the lives of Oregon veterans and their families.