Elmwood Park names Frank Shoop veterans liaison

The Elmwood Park mayor and council introduced Frank Shoop as the borough’s veterans liaison at their Feb. 20 meeting.

Shoop, an Army combat medic who said he served in Iraq, told the council he has managed the New Jersey Veterans Network for seven years and has helped “a couple of hundred veterans” find services, housing and everyday assistance. “Resources to veterans is pretty much my specialty,” Shoop said.

Councilwoman Terry Sheridan framed the liaison role as a local contact for veterans in need and said Shoop will be the person veterans can reach out to for help. Speakers including Mayor Colletti, Council President Pellegrini and police Chief Filigno praised Shoop’s past work in the borough and on veterans’ events. Sheridan, the council member who introduced Shoop, said he previously helped the borough with its Veterans Memorial Monument and helped get a homeless veteran off the street into housing.

Shoop said he organizes veteran events and cited an upcoming veterans event scheduled for Sunday at the Elmwood Park VFW that will include free clothing and groceries. Council members and the chief said the borough’s police and other departments will support the liaison as needed. Sheridan and other council members said Shoop provided a phone number and email for veterans to use; those contact details were not read into the public record at the meeting.

No formal roll-call vote was recorded for the appointment at the Feb. 20 meeting; council members treated the introduction as an informal appointment and offered congratulations on the record.

Why it matters: Elmwood Park now has a publicly announced local point of contact for veterans, linking municipal officials to a nonprofit provider that the council said can help coordinate services and outreach.

Shoop’s introduction at the Feb. 20 meeting followed remarks from multiple council members thanking him for prior work in the borough and noting the ease for veterans to approach a familiar local contact.