Veterans Advocacy Tool Box

Veterans Affairs Veterans Support Agencies

Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Veterans Centers - Vet Centers across the country provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to combat Veterans and their families.

  • Military Records Request - Request a copy of your DD-214 and all military records

  • Disability Benefits Application - Veterans who have disabilities, medical conditions, or injuries incurred or aggravated during active military service—no matter when or where they served—may be eligible to receive tax-free monthly benefits.

  • Vocational Rehabilitation - You may receive Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) services to help with job training, employment accommodations, resume development, and job seeking skills coaching.

  • VA Forms - Locate all VA forms when directed to complete another one.


    Suicide Prevention tools

  •  VA Community Providor Tool Kit - An outstanding resource for everyone to take a look at

  • VA Veteran Suicide Prevention Outreach tool kit. - Veterans, family members, and care providers can initiate a free and confidential conversation with an experienced and caring VA responder by calling the Veterans Crisis Line. If you are concerned about the safety and well-being of a Veteran, call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1. Chat online atVeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat to get support anonymously. A text message can also be sent to838255 to connect to a VA responder. These resources can be used even if a Veteran is not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care.


how to contact elected officials 

Elected members of Local state and federal offices

House of Representatives: - Locate your Federal congressman

United States Senate:  - Locate your Federal Senator

Local and State Elected Officials - Locate your State Senators and Representatives, Governor, Mayor etc.


Additional Services and Agencies by Subject 

A collection of resources from multiple veterans service agencies

 

Disability Services

Back To Life Campaign (Doctors helping veterans with chronic pain)

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Disabled American Veterans

Work Vessels for Veterans - John Niekrash - john@workvesselsforvets.com - Matches donations of vessels, vehicles, equipment, tools and electronics to veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan as they start a business or pursue career education.

Education 

Entrepreneurial Bootcamp for Veterans - Michael Zacchea - Michael.Zacchea@business.uconn.edu - The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program offers cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities resulting from their service to our country.

Vocational Rehabilitation - You may receive Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) services to help with job training, employment accommodations, resume development, and job seeking skills coaching.

Employment

Get Skills To Work (help matching military skills with thousands of jobs)

Hire Heroes

Job Hero (resources to help Veterans)

Financial Support

Boot Campaign

Mission Vets (provides academic scholarships for veterans to learn skills needed in the oil & gas industry)

National Veterans Service Foundation - Eunice Ramirez - Eunice_Ramirez@blumenthal.senate.gov - Sometimes provides financial support to veterans in need. 

Operation Homefront

ReserveAid (Financial help for deployed Reservists/National Guard)

Robin Hood Foundation

Soldier, Sailor, Marine Fund 

USA Cares (Offers job and financial help)

Brain injuries and post concussive events

Chambers for Hope (HBOT network for Veterans)

Hampton Roads Hyperbaric (In Virginia, free HBOT)

Hyperbaric Medical Solutions (In Woodbury & Medford, NY, free HBOT)

Rocky Mountain Hyperbaric Association (Free HBOT for Veterans in Denver with housing)

TreatNOW (A coalition of HBOT providers and  a call center to find HBOT for veterans)

Health/Wellness/PTS

About Face (National Center for PTSD)

Clubhouse International

Control PTSD

Expedition Balance

Fountain House

Give An Hour

Healing Warrior Hearts (Milwaukee, WI, for PTSD retreats)

Honoring the Path of the Warrior (mindfulness training)

Horse Rhythm Foundation

Horses for Heroes

Lone Survivor Foundation

Mind-Fitness Training  (For PTS)

NAMI – National Alliance of Mental Illness

One Step Closer Therapeutic Riding

Real Warriors

Saratoga Warhorse (equine program for veterans with PTSD)

Semper Fidelis Health and Wellness

Soldiers To Summits

STRONG STAR (San Antonio) (Help for PTSD and TBI)

Task Force Waterfowl

The Soldiers Project

Trauma and Resiliency, Inc. – “Warrior Camp”

Valhalla Project

Veterans Airlift Command (Helping veterans with travel need due to illness)

Housing & Human Services

Fisher House

Home for Our Troops

Long March Home

Warrior Plantation works with veterans that need help with VA applications, SSDI applications, locating legal assistance, securing employment, and housing assistance for homeless veterans.

Purple Heart Homes - John Gallina - jgallina@purplehearthomesusa.org - Veteran Home Renovation. Purple Heart Homes is partnering with participating credit unions to identify older Veterans who need a ramp, grab bars, railings, a clean yard or a fresh coat of paint on the inside or outside of their homes. Credit unions will raise the funds needed to complete the projects on Veterans’ homes.

Tunnel 2 Towers - John Hodge  - john.hodge@tunnel2towers.org - The mission of our Foundation is to honor the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Siller who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001. We also honor our military and first responders who continue to make the supreme sacrifice of life and limb for our country.

Home Depot Foundation - Community Impact Grants - Grants of up to $5,000 are awarded to assist veterans with needed home improvements. 

CT Military Support Program - 866-251-2913 - Housing

New Street Shelter (CT) - Mike Finn - 203-796-1661 - Homeless shelter.

Family Program Office (CT) - 800-858-2677 - lerita.m.odonnell.ctr@mail.mil - Veterans one stop shop for referrals to other service providers. 

Legal Help

The Veterans’ Legacy Foundation

Uniformed Services Justice & Advocacy

OutServe (For LGBT Service members and Veterans)

Meditation/Yoga/Other Alt

Bootstrap USA (Free online yoga by a veteran free for veterans)

Connected Warriors

Honoring the Path of the Warrior

The Patriot Project (Chiropratic care free for Veterans)

Transcendental Meditation

Yoga for Vets

Military Networks

After Deployment (A variety of resources for Veterans)

Air Force Suicide Prevention

Armed Forces Foundation (Help with all needs for active duty and veterans)

Defense Centers for Excellence

Hope for the Warrior

IAVA

Mission Continues

Student Veterans of America

Team Rubicon

Unite Us (An online web community like Facebook, but for veterans.)

Veterans Empowering Veterans

Veterans Helping Veterans of America

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Outdoor and Outdoor Service Organizations

New England Adventures - Camping and outdoor activities for New England Veterans

Military Outdoors (Sierra Club)

Free Courses for Veterans and Service Members (Outward Bound)

River Warriors | Fully-Hosted Rafting Trips for Military Veterans (OARS)

Project Cohort

Veteran's Benefits (NOLS) 

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass (free for disabled veterans) 

AmeriCorps for Veterans

http://www.vetexpeditions.com/

Service Animals

Companions for Heroes

Dogs for Heroes

Dogs 4 Warriors

Hero Dogs

Hounds 4 Heroes

Labs For Liberty

Patriot Paws

Paws4Vets

Pits for Patriots

Soldier’s Best Friend

Substance Abuse

The recovery Village 

National Veterans Foundation

Suicide Prevention

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

Support

Defense Centers for Excellence

Gary Sinise Foundation

Home Town Heroes

Swords to Plowshares

Tee It Up for the Troops

Support for Survivors

American Widow Project

Gold Star Wives

Society of Military Widows

TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors)

Transitional Services

Bob Woodruff Foundation

Charlotte Bridge Home