Gov. Shapiro visits Southeastern Veterans’ Center in Chester County

EAST VINCENT — Gov. Josh Shapiro and the general in charge of Pennsylvania’s veterans homes stopped in at the Southeastern Veterans’ Center for two reasons.

The first was part of the celebration of State Veterans Homes Week, and the second was to highlight the items in Shapiro’s proposed budget that will benefit veterans.

As part of the week’s celebrations, the center hosted a carnival for residents and their families, made possible through the homes’ Resident Welfare Fund, which is funded through donations.

Shapiro and Major General Mark Schindler, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, met with the center’s residents, including two World War II veterans Paul Lynch and Paul Trumbetas, whose 100th birthday was celebrated with the Phillies last month. They are two of more than 30 World War II residents in DMVA’s state veterans’ homes across Pennsylvania.

With more than 700,000, Pennsylvania has the fourth-largest veterans population in the country.

“Our veterans have served our Commonwealth and our country and fought for our freedoms — and our state veterans homes provide the world-class care so they can age with dignity,” Shapiro said in a press release about his visit. “I was proud to break ground on a new veterans’ home in Hollidaysburg last year, and with the investments proposed in my budget, we’re going to continue to fulfill our obligation to provide our veterans with the benefits and care they earned through their service. My Administration will always work to ensure that the brave men and women who protected our freedoms can prosper here in the Commonwealth.”

“We are here to provide servicemembers, veterans and their families assistance in accessing the support and benefits they’ve earned through their service,” said Schindler. “This vital funding ensures we reach servicemembers and veterans in outlying communities without access to city centers and reliable internet.”

Outreach and education are at the forefront of DMVA’s dual mission for Pennsylvania. During the calendar years 2020 to 2022, the demand for claims work to support veterans has increased by more than 13 percent, according to figures provided in the press release.

That’s why Shapiro has proposed $2 million for DMVA’s proposed walk-in outreach center to aid servicemembers, veterans and their families in the budget he released in February and is due to be adopted by the end of the month. The center will create a one-stop shop outside of the secure perimeter of Fort Indiantown Gap to complement existing county veteran offices and to make it easier for veterans to receive the benefits and help they have earned.

The first outreach center will be in Lickdale, Lebanon County, with a projected opening in the fall of 2024.

The governor’s budget also includes $500,000 to expand and improve the Department of State’s Military Occupational Crosswalk, which aims to connect veterans with civilian career opportunities equivalent to their military experience.

With this funding, DOS will create a user-friendly web portal that will serve as a repository for information on hundreds of occupations and decrease barriers to professional practice for returning military veterans and their spouses. Already, the crosswalk has provided support to more than 1,500 veterans, service members, and military spouses.