REMARKS
Proposals for improving veteran outreach and communication
1:08:06
ยท
165 sec
DVS representatives and Council Member Holden discuss various proposals and suggestions for improving veteran outreach and communication, including potential budget increases and leveraging council member resources.
- Proposal for data sharing agreement between DVS and City Council for direct mail campaigns
- Suggestion to increase DVS budget for veteran outreach and communication
- Recommendation to include veterans issues in council member newsletters and email blasts
- Discussion on the need for persistent and repeated communication efforts
Jason Loughran
1:08:06
Yeah.
1:08:06
And chair, if you'd like, we can always conduct a data sharing agreement with counsel.
1:08:10
And then if you guys could support us in any type of direct mail campaign, we could provide the the data to do so for what we Yeah.
Robert Holden
1:08:17
But just just if you can look up your database and see how many can you help to, and and we'll I'll certainly talk to the mayor about increasing the budget for, you know, emailing, you know, getting the resources in DVS because we we were able to, you know, we we we made a, a small step last year in last year's budget.
1:08:40
We need to make a giant step this time because this, this is a very important issue that our veterans are not being served in New York City to the fullest extent that they could be and when and it's, it's partially on both both agencies.
1:08:55
It's your agency and the city council to fix it.
1:08:59
And, you know, unless we can communicate if we can't even communicate with our veterans, that's a big problem.
1:09:04
Well,
Jason Loughran
1:09:04
Terry, if you're doing any print at print direct mail campaigns, we'd love to partner with the partner with the council here to provide you guys with what information we have.
1:09:12
Right.
1:09:12
So you can, send those mailers out on our behalf.
Robert Holden
1:09:15
I I do Or just a reminder to the council members to put veterans issues in their newsletters.
1:09:21
That's Yeah.
1:09:22
The quarterly We get like, I guess we get 2 a year and you could even do more.
1:09:26
But we also get we do blast emails.
1:09:29
Mhmm.
1:09:29
So just piggyback, you know, again, it's it's sad that we have to do this, but anything we could do to to get the word out.
1:09:37
Because government I mean, New York City government is notorious.
1:09:41
They have great programs.
1:09:42
They just don't know how to sell it.
1:09:43
They don't know how to advertise it.
1:09:44
They don't know how to get it out to people.
1:09:47
So it becomes a waste then that we put all this money into it and very few people are taking advantage.
James Hendon
1:09:52
I I think you'll see us doing that more.
1:09:54
Like, this past January 1st, I emailed personally all of our council members, you know, on on New Year's Day just to kinda touch base.
1:10:02
So you'll see us trying to communicate directly more with council members and Yeah.
Robert Holden
1:10:04
But you need
James Hendon
1:10:04
to you need
Robert Holden
1:10:05
to the assets.
1:10:06
You gotta keep you know, we get, like, 10,000 emails from the office.
1:10:11
And sometimes when there are big issues, we get a lot of spam that it goes through.
1:10:16
So it's actually you gotta you gotta be persistent.
1:10:19
It's gotta keep coming, and gradually, it'll catch on.
1:10:23
But if if every and and I like, I like to know a count at one point.
1:10:27
Maybe we'll do it.
1:10:29
I'll ask you this at a at a future hearing.
1:10:31
How many, offices and you could ask your DVS, resource people.
1:10:38
Are they busy in each office?
1:10:39
And which offices are not that busy?
1:10:42
And which what can we do to increase the attendance at that particular let's say half the council offices.
1:10:49
I know Vicky Paladino.