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Contact:

Kristina Barry
Kristina.Barry@state.ma.us
617-573-1606

DEVAL L. PATRICK

Governor

TIMOTHY P. MURRAY

Lieutenant Governor

JUDYANN BIGBY, M.D.

Secretary, EOHHS

THOMAS G. KELLEY

Secretary, DVS

June 10, 2009 - For immediate release:

Patrick-Murray Administration Hosts First-of-its-Kind Veterans’ Services Webcast and Online Discussion

Webcast to Promote Benefits and Services Available to Massachusetts Veterans and Their Families

BOSTON — As a new generation of veterans return to the Commonwealth, the Patrick-Murray Administration is expanding its outreach efforts using the latest in 21st century technology and social networking. Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS) is hosting an important webcast about the programs and services available to Massachusetts veterans and their families on Tuesday, June 16. The online discussion, We Owe You: A Live Webcast Discussion for Veterans and Families about the Benefits and Resources in Massachusetts Available to Them is considered to be the first-of-its-kind in the country.

The 90-minute interactive discussion will focus on the many programs and services available to all military veterans and their families living in Massachusetts. The Commonwealth is a national leader in veteran services, and veterans’ services experts will explain the benefits available and take questions LIVE via instant messaging throughout the webcast.

“We are employing 21st century technology to reach veterans everywhere in the most effective and efficient way possible to let them know about the benefits and services available to them,” said Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, who is taking part in the webcast and chairs the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans’ Services.

There are approximately 430,000 veterans in Massachusetts, including about 30,000 veterans who have returned home from active duty since September 11, 2001. Military veterans, especially those who have recently returned to the Commonwealth, family members and friends of veterans will be taking part in this online discussion. The webcast is free of charge.

Topics of discussion include: Financial Assistance, Public Assistance, Bonuses, GI Bill, Health Resources and much more. Panelists will include Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray, and representatives from many veterans agencies across the Commonwealth including the Massachusetts DVS, the Veterans’ Administration, the Women Veterans’ Network, Operation Total Warrior and the Department of Workforce Development. For more information please visit www.WeOweU.org.

WHAT:“We Owe You: A Live Webcast Discussion for Veterans and Families about the Benefits and Resources in Massachusetts Available to Them”
WHEN:Tuesday, June 16, 2009. 7 p.m. EST
WHERE:Webcast Location: www.WeOweU.org
Live Location: UMass Boston, Campus Center

Massachusetts Veterans Fact Sheet

  • Approximately 430,000 veterans currently live in Massachusetts.

  • Approximately 30,000 Massachusetts residents have returned home from active duty since September 11, 2001.

  • Approximately 19,000 of those Massachusetts service members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

  • The women veterans’ population in Massachusetts is nearly 28,000.

Massachusetts Benefits Fact Sheet

  • The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a national leader in veteran services.

  • State benefits include public assistance for indigent veterans and tuition waivers at state colleges and universities.

  • Every city and town in the Commonwealth has a Veteran Service Officer who is there to find veterans, advise them of their rights and benefits, and then to assist veterans as they apply for and receive state and federal benefits.

  • Family members of those killed in action may receive special assistance for state-aided public housing and property tax exemption.

  • The recently formed Statewide Advocacy for Veterans’ Empowerment (SAVE) advocates for veterans who are not able to obtain the benefits they have earned due to institutional or personal barriers. SAVE acts as a liaison between veterans and their families and the various agencies within the federal and state governments.

  • Operation Total Warrior (OTW) strives to link Massachusetts National Guard, Air National Guard and Reserve Component service members and families with critical support services and veterans benefits support agencies. OTW’s goal is to assist those in the military and their family in realizing the benefits and services they are entitled to.

Download Invitation

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