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Importance of Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) and funding challenges

2:13:08

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Council Member Holden emphasizes the crucial role of Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) in supporting veterans and highlights the challenges they face, including closures and lack of understanding from city leaders about their importance.

Holden notes the concentration of VSOs in Queens and their importance for veteran mentorship and PTSD support
He mentions his efforts to secure funding for VSOs through city council initiatives
The council member expresses concern about the ongoing closure of VSO offices

Robert Holden

2:13:08

But we you know, again, I've been talking about because I have a lot of VSOs in my district.

2:13:14

And Queens Queens essentially has a lot, I think, I mean, compared to the other boroughs.

2:13:21

But we're seeing them close and we see but I I think many of our city But leaders don't understand the importance of the VSOs.

2:13:29

That it it is so important to a veteran to have some mentorship through that through the VSOs to come together and talk talk about their the the issues.

2:13:47

And and many of them are not even recognizing they have PTSD and how the VSOs are helping them with that.

2:13:56

And we've seen it over and over again.

2:13:59

So that's why I called on the city council to try to fund some member item initiatives to give each council member, fifty one council members, money to allocate to VSOs.

2:14:10

And there's always been a question, well, where do we allocate it to?

2:14:13

And we could allocate it to Washington even, to the VA.

2:14:18

It doesn't have to go to DVS, but if it went to DVS, so be it.

2:14:22

But I think we need to have that conversation.

2:14:25

We haven't had it yet.

2:14:26

So I haven't been very successful at that.

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Testimony by Coco Culhane, Executive Director of Veteran Advocacy Project, on Veterans Services Challenges and Recommendations

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Clarification on different types of Veteran Service Organizations