PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sergio Villaverde, Chair of Veterans Affairs Committee at Bronx Community Board 8
2:09:48
·
4 min
Sergio Villaverde, a veteran and Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee at Bronx Community Board 8, provided testimony on important issues facing veterans in New York City. He emphasized three main points: the need for better identification of veterans, the importance of outreach to families, and the value of veteran mentoring and involvement in community leadership.
- Villaverde stressed the challenge of veteran self-identification, with only 24% of veterans in NYC self-identifying, and called for continued efforts by city agencies to identify and connect veterans with services.
- He highlighted the crucial role of families in encouraging veterans to seek treatment and access benefits, emphasizing the need for resources to be known to the extended circle of veterans.
- Villaverde advocated for increased veteran involvement in community leadership roles, such as non-profit boards and community boards, to tap into their wealth of experience and facilitate mentorship.
Sergio Villaverde
2:09:48
Great.
2:09:49
First, I wanna thank chair holding and chair Leifa for holding this very, very important session.
2:09:56
It's it's certainly something near and dear near and dear to me and my family.
2:10:01
I have served 32 years in the US Coast Guard Reserve.
2:10:04
I'm a 9 11 responder.
2:10:05
I'm also retired from the NYPD.
2:10:09
I I served currently as a small business owner, as I'm gonna attorney, but I also am the chair of the special veterans committee at Community Board number 8 in the Bronx.
2:10:20
And I did wanna talk talk about the issue.
2:10:24
And as with most veterans issues, there there are three big points I'd like I'd like to make.
2:10:29
Number 1 is the identification of veterans as has been stated.
2:10:34
Veterans do not generally self identify.
2:10:37
Naturally, it's 34%.
2:10:40
In New York state, it's 29%.
2:10:41
You get to the city.
2:10:43
It's 24%.
2:10:45
The they had they have been local laws that have been passed to encourage identification by the different agencies, and that needs to continue, and every agency should have something like this on its radar identifying veterans and connecting them with services that are available because we can't get them the mental health treatment.
2:11:06
We can't get them the other services that are required if we don't know who these people are.
2:11:10
And that's that's been a herculean lift.
2:11:15
Number 2, the outreach as a as a previous speaker spoke to families and the extended circle of veterans is something that's that's most necessary because frankly, from a lot of my friends and a lot of the the people who I know they've gotten treatment only because their family has been the one who's encouraged it.
2:11:37
So having the city resources, the state resources, and the VA resources, known to the families.
2:11:44
They are in a position where they can push to get treatment.
2:11:48
They can push to get disability ratings.
2:11:50
They can push to have the PTSD diagnosed.
2:11:54
You know, whereas a veteran may not wanna listen, may not wanna self identify.
2:11:58
Making sure that the extended circle knows about it, it's a it's a practical issue.
2:12:04
Right?
2:12:04
We can you know, we'll be able to pay the mortgage.
2:12:06
We'll be able to pay the rent.
2:12:08
You know, you have this condition.
2:12:10
Let's get it treated, and let's get the benefit for it if there's one other than the treatment.
2:12:16
Number number 3, the veteran mentoring, the model that the veterans veteran treatment courts use I think it's something that I know that Commissioner Hendon is is very big on it, and I wanna commit commissioner Hendon and and his staff.
2:12:32
They're they're they're doing a a big job.
2:12:36
They're they're they're boxing way way above their weight.
2:12:39
Relative to the funding that they had.
2:12:41
This is why it's urgent that the other agencies have a stake, that this is front of mind for all of the city agencies because that's the old it's gonna happen.
2:12:51
It's not gonna happen.
2:12:53
With with only $3,200,000 of other than personnel expenses that the Citi DBS has.
2:13:01
Number 3, we need to we need to do the outreach to connect in from a selfish perspective a little bit to get people into veterans specifically more involved in the community because that's how the mentorship happens, that's how the outreach happens.
2:13:16
And and from a a city perspective on our not for profit boards volunteering, community boards, veterans have a wealth of leadership experience and knowledge that is untapped.
2:13:31
It's I I know on my community board, I'm the only veteran who serves I know one of my neighbor and community boards has no veterans who serve on it, and and I think that's that's not unique.
2:13:42
So those are the three points I wanted to stress, and I thank all of you for having this meeting and happy veterans month.
2:13:49
And if we are having our veterans event November 3rd, this Sunday at Memorial Grove event, Portland Park, it will be at noon if if anyone chooses to come up to the beautiful box.
2:14:00
Thank you very much, madam chair.
2:14:01
Thank you very much, Mister Champ.
