NORTHAMPTON — In an effort to showcase the benefits and services available for veterans and their families, Central Hampshire Veterans Services will be hosting a Veteran’s Benefits Event on Wednesday Feb. 26 from 4-6 p.m. at the Northampton Senior Center.
The event will feature people and organizations ready to help set up veterans and or their families on the right path toward their entitled benefits and resources available. Central Hampshire Veterans Services Director Steve Connor told Reminder Publishing this will be the third time they host a benefits event after two were already done in Hadley and Huntington in the last quarter of 2024.
“Now we’re going to be doing it in Northampton and at least one more time this year we plan to do it in Williamsburg,” Connor said.
He shared that the first two events had great turnout from veterans around the region even though they were meant to be a smaller scale for the specific communities. With the great turnout, the next Veteran’s Benefits Event on Feb. 26 is set for Northampton and any veterans in the region are welcomed to stop by.
Connor added he has found from his 21 years on the job that many family members of veterans don’t fully understand the resources available and that they may be eligible for, and events like this bridge those gaps.
“Often what happens is they [family of a veteran] keep mom or dad home as long as they can and then it gets to the point where they can’t anymore, what are we going to do?” Connor said. “There’s waiting lists [for veteran’s homes] and there’s not always a great option. Then they’re lost and they go to the VA, but what if they’re not eligible for the VA? Everybody thinks every veteran would be eligible, but that’s just not the case. There [are] many options. Some are better than others and there’s eligibility and not everyone can take advantage of those. So, we decided rather than waiting until a family is in dire need or going crazy, that we would run this program to give people a heads up before they need it.”
Connor added one of the biggest obstacles for veterans and their families is not being aware of the entitlements and potential resources at their benefit, another reason for this event to spread its reach to the region’s veterans. An attorney will be present at the event who works with veterans and their families ready to speak with attendees about programs and resources available.
“We’re hoping that their children, their spouses are going to be the ones that see this and say we need to go, because it really is for the people dealing with the veteran,” Connor added.
Central Hampshire Veterans Services in Northampton are also continuing work on a special in-person event to honor remaining World War II veterans in Western Massachusetts. Tentatively scheduled for May 2025, this event will aim to celebrate the men and women who sacrificed so much to protect freedom and democracy.
Veteran services has made a call to the public in effort to locate these veterans as it has become a challenge due to their ages and how many live with family, are in long-term care facilities or have quietly stepped away from the public eye. Despite best efforts, it can be difficult to identify those still with us and all too often they are not learned about until it is too late.
Connor was happy to update Reminder Publishing and say they have so far identified 26 living World War II veterans in the region and are in contact with them about the potential honor in May. He added 10 veterans have already said they wish to be in attendance.
“We still got some pieces to put together but we’re trying to do it really fast and get it all set up,” said Connor.
If readers are aware of a living World War II veteran in Western Massachusetts, please contact Dan Nye at Central Hampshire Veterans Services via vetadmin@northamptonma.gov.
