FROM BRANDON MILLER
ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – State, federal, and non-profit service providers are coming together to host a Veterans well-being town hall and community service fair at Shelton State Community College on Wednesday, August 10, from 2-5 p.m.
The community service fair will take place from 2-4 p.m. and the town hall will be 4-5 p.m.
Veterans attending the community service fair will have the opportunity to meet with VA representatives and apply for VA benefits, file for VA compensation and pension claims, and access healthcare services. Along with teaming with WBRC FOX6 News, the Montgomery VA Regional Office, and the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, the Alabama Department of Labor will have more than 30 employers on site to address employment assistance.
The Veterans well-being town hall, inspired by Alabama’s Challenge for Preventing Suicide Among Service Members, Veterans, and their Families (SMVF), aims to combat the continuing stigma Veterans face with mental illness. Recently released data shows 152 Veterans in Alabama died by suicide in 2020, which is a rate higher than the national Veteran average and significantly higher than the national civilian average.
The town hall will feature a host of guests, including Alabama State Representative Neil Rafferty, who sponsored legislation that established the Alabama’s Task Force on Veterans’ Suicide. Alabama’s Challenge Co-Chairs Paulette Risher and Kent Davis will provide an overview of the statewide initiative and a panel of community, state, and federal representatives will discuss their services and answer questions from the community.
You can learn more about Alabama’s Challenge and Veterans well-being resources by visiting vetsforhope.com.
WHAT: Alabama’s Challenge Veterans Well-Being Town Hall and Community Service Fair
WHEN: Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 2-5 p.m.
WHERE: Shelton State Community College (Atrium), 9500 Old Greensboro Road, Tuscaloosa, AL 35405
