Veterans bureau to hold 3-day assistance program - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel

The Maine Bureau of Veterans Services is partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Benefits Administration at Togus to put on a Virtual Veterans Experience Action Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Dec. 7-9, for Maine’s veterans.

Limited appointments are available. To register, visit booknow.appointment-plus.com/ck3047g2. Registration runs through Sunday, Dec. 5.

Veterans can get assistance on:

• VA claims and appeals filing and status updates;

• VA and Maine Bureau of Veterans Services (including Maine Veterans’ Dental Network);

• VA healthcare eligibility and enrollment;

• Community and peer-to-peer networking referral;

• Education, employment, and pro bono legal referral; and

• Family member, caregiver and survivor benefits and services.

Pre-pandemic, the center was an in-person event often held at civic centers or convention halls. This three-day program will provide veterans with direct connection to healthcare and benefits, and the ability to check on existing claims, appeals and the national cemetery system. Everything is done over the phone for the veterans’ ease of access; the key to the program is pre-registration.

The bureau’s goal is to connect 300 veterans to services. Wabanaki and LGBTQ+ veterans, student and older veterans, and veterans living in rural areas of the state are the bureau’s highest concern. Any veteran who identifies as homeless or at risk for homelessness will receive immediate assistance and not have to wait for the actual event in December.

For more information or help with difficulty setting up an appointment, call Sarah Sherman, director of strategic partnerships, Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services, at 207-430-5816.

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