{"id":8156,"date":"2024-08-04T20:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8156"},"modified":"2024-08-04T20:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-08-04T20:30:00","slug":"connecting-veterans-houston-event-unites-over-1000-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8156","title":{"rendered":"Connecting Veterans: Houston event unites over 1,000 Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2024-08-04T20:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

In a remarkable display of community collaboration, more than 1,000 Veterans recently gathered at a special event in Houston to connect with essential resources, jobs and support.\u00a0The event, called VetConnect, was a joint effort between the Michael E. DeBakey VA<\/a>, Combined Arms and Texas Workforce Solutions.\u00a0The day proved to be a resounding success in ensuring Veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned and so richly deserve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Employers from throughout the Houston community and beyond were in attendance at the event, some even interviewing and hiring Veterans on the spot. Health care enrollment and eligibility staff from Houston VA greeted Veterans in the lobby of the event and registered them for health care. Houston VA regional benefits office staff were also there to assist Veterans with filing benefits claims.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
Associate Director Jeremiah Jackson and Coast Guard Veteran Roger Dornaus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe hit it out of the park,\u201d said John Smith, Combined Arms regional manager and Marine Corps Veteran. \u201cThe goal of VetConnect was to connect Veterans with employment opportunities, job training programs and entrepreneurial resources while offering them VA health care enrollment and benefits, community resources and a lot more. It was incredible to see so many Veterans coming out and getting the help they need.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVA was really on top of it.\u201d<\/h2>\n

Army Veteran Timothy Williamson, who deployed twice to the Middle East during his 12 years in the military, was on-site for VetConnect to check out the job opportunities.\u00a0He was thrilled to find out he is now eligible for VA health care as a result of recent PACT Act enrollment changes. \u201cI first applied for VA health care seven or eight years ago but was told I made too much money, so I wasn\u2019t eligible. Today I got help filing a benefits claim, enrolled in VA health care and even got my first appointment scheduled. VA was really on top of it,\u201d Williamson said.<\/p>\n

Houston VA is committed to reaching out to and enrolling and caring for as many Veterans as possible. Jeremiah Jackson, Houston VA\u2019s acting associate director and whose mother served in the military, said he and many of his VA co-workers feel a special connection to the Veterans they serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t underestimate the power of collaboration.\u201d<\/h2>\n

\u201cServing Veterans is my passion.\u00a0It was an honor to meet so many Veterans at VetConnect and to know that our staff at Houston VA are ready and waiting to serve them. It is truly our honor and privilege to care for Veterans,\u201d Jackson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cVetConnect was a shining example of what can be achieved when organizations come together to support Veterans,\u201d said Smith.\u00a0\u201cYou can\u2019t underestimate the power of collaboration. In Texas, there are so many Veteran and community groups that have an unwavering commitment to serving those who have served our nation. When we all work together, there is nothing we can\u2019t achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coast Guard Veteran Roger Dornaus also enrolled in VA health care for the first time at the event.\u00a0Dornaus was in the Coast Guard and moved back to Texas to be near family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got out of the military years ago, but I never signed up for VA. I know that sometimes there aren\u2019t very many of us Coast Guard Veterans around, but I\u2019m very grateful to join VA,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

More than 1,000 Veterans gathered at a special event in Houston to connect with essential resources, jobs and support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nConnecting Veterans: Houston event unites over 1,000 Veterans - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"More than 1,000 Veterans gathered at a special event in Houston to connect with essential resources, jobs and support.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=8156\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Connecting Veterans: Houston event unites over 1,000 Veterans - 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