QUESTION
How can existing city-wide communications be used to enhance outreach to veterans?
0:35:32
·
174 sec
The New York City Department of Veterans Services is exploring additional outreach methods, including utilizing existing city-wide communications, to reach more veterans.
- Sandra Alvarez discusses sharing information with senior center directors and the potential of including veterans' benefits information in departmental mailings.
- James Hendon highlights partnerships with elected officials and utilizing passport identification processes to reach veterans.
- Council Member Robert Holden suggests creative advertising methods like utilizing bus shelter ads and billboards for outreach.
- These efforts aim to compensate for limited funding and enhance the delivery of veterans' benefits information.
Robert Holden
0:35:32
Let me just go back to Outreach again because I had you know, we talked about this a little bit more, but I'd like specifics if you could you know, in addition to what you're already doing in outreach, What about piggybacking on other communications with the city of New York?
0:35:51
Like, you know, if they they're communicating almost every month, I get a few things from the city of New York.
0:35:57
Couldn't we put it in an envelope with something about Veterans Benefit if you have you know, if you haven't self identified, maybe it's a good time because this is this you might qualify for this, this, this, and this.
0:36:12
I mean, could could that be are you doing anything on that?
Sandra Alvarez
0:36:19
So I think that we've done that a couple of ways and we're certainly exploring, furthering that idea.
0:36:27
One of the things that we've done, as I mentioned before, is that we shared our flyer and our information with the senior center directors.
0:36:34
So we're not necessarily piggybacking off of a direct mailing in that sense, but we're piggybacking off of a standing system that DIFTA already has in place to engage their senior center.
0:36:44
Directors.
0:36:45
I think they bring them together quarterly.
0:36:47
So the commissioner's been presenting at those meetings.
0:36:49
And then afterwards, we're disseminating our flyer and all of our information out to those center directors so that they can hand that over to their members.
0:36:57
So that's that's one idea.
0:36:59
I know that you're mentioning, like, getting into other mailings, like, with the Department of Finance.
0:37:03
I think that's something that we can certainly explore.
0:37:05
We've we've toyed with that idea before.
0:37:07
I think, you know, if there's movement on property
James Hendon
0:37:09
and another one that that cast was directly with 2 was reaching out to all who had identified as veterans who were in passport, you know, working with the mayor's office contract services.
0:37:18
So we've done those types of partnerships.
0:37:20
And something that we are excited about too is working more close with our elected officials such as yourself as far as making sure that any content that we can include within existing mayors that you have, that that can be an amplifier of us.
0:37:32
That's another piece, Mister Cheah.
Robert Holden
0:37:34
But, yeah, let's look at creative ways because I'm always thinking about communications.
0:37:38
That that was my field.
0:37:40
So that's why I mentioned everything available in the neighborhood's bus shelters that are ads that they that the city can do or even free stuff.
0:37:52
Like billboards that are in between the contracts.
0:37:55
Let's say they sit there dormant that there are many times the the billboard is peeling already that they don't have another ad, and billboard companies might be able to donate that space.
0:38:07
We we provide the art, let's say, your office provides the art, and they just put it up for a few months.
0:38:12
But things like that, creative ways, especially when the city of New York is not funding you properly.
0:38:18
To to do any outreach.
0:38:19
Really?
0:38:20
I don't even know if you can do any mass mailings at this point with that budget, especially when they throw pigs in.