Annville, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) announces its Mobile Veterans Outreach Vans are available throughout the state to assist veterans in obtaining information and initiating benefit claim paperwork through the assistance of DMVA accredited veteran service officers. The outreach vans are available to be booked for community events through the DMVA website, and can be set up at convenient locations such as shopping centers, sporting events, county fairs, parades, festivals, and other events throughout Pennsylvania, at no cost.
“Every eligible veteran should be able to access the benefits they earned through their service to this nation,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s acting adjutant general and head of DMVA. “That’s why the DMVA is working to eliminate barriers to applying for benefits, like transportation, and meet veterans where they are. With our outreach programs, we’re working to make sure veterans can get the services they need, right in their communities.”
In 2022, the outreach vans traveled to 74 events across the state where the DMVA outreach teams worked with more than 1,850 veterans. Each outreach van is wheelchair-accessible, equipped with technology to assist veterans applying for their benefits on the spot, and staffed with accredited veteran service officers, who are available to assist veterans at no cost.
There are a wide range of federal, state and county benefits available to qualified veterans and their families, and DMVA’s accredited veteran service officer outreach staff can be an excellent source of information and assistance. Such benefits might include service-connected disability compensation, pensions, VA health care benefits, burial benefits, education benefits, vocational rehabilitation, active service bonuses, veterans homes long-term care, and much more.
DMVA’s outreach staff also coordinates each event with county directors of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations, and local and state officials to maximize awareness and attendance.
For more details on how to request a van for a community event, visit the Mobile Veterans Outreach Vans webpage or visit DMVA at www.dmva.pa.gov.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Joan Nissley - jnissley@pa.gov
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