Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veterans Services App topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
VetLife tells committee its 'Battle Buddy' app connects veterans to benefits and local services
Summary
VetLife co-founder Josh Parish told the House Families and Veterans Committee that the nonprofit’s Battle Buddy app has had about 30,000 downloads and helps veterans find benefits, county services and local events; he urged legislative support for further outreach funding.
Josh Parish, co-founder of the nonprofit VetLife, told the House Families and Veterans Committee that VetLife’s new mobile platform, Battle Buddy, connects veterans and families to peer support, benefits navigation and local services, and that the nonprofit is seeking legislative support to expand outreach.
Parish said VetLife has helped “over 143,000 veterans and their family members gain access to their benefits” through outreach and that the Battle Buddy app had more than 30,000 downloads in its first month. He described the app as a “one-stop mobile platform” that complements Department of Defense transition programs and local veteran service officers by bringing vetted resources directly to veterans.
Parish said many veterans lack awareness of local resources: he told the committee that about 36 percent of Michigan veterans live beyond a 30- to 50-mile radius of a VA facility or similar local VA resource office, and that county-level offices and Michigan Works are partners in outreach. Parish said VetLife’s field test at the Howell National Guard armory showed strong peer-to-peer sharing: one event reached about 78 guard members and the app was shared widely thereafter.
Committee members asked about VetLife’s results and credibility. Parish said his organization has partnerships with all 83 county Department of Veterans Affairs offices through the Michigan Association of County Veterans Counselors. He listed awards and recognitions claimed by the organization and by his wife, Courtney Parish: a governor’s service award, VetLife’s selection as a top-five finalist in a Congressional Medal of Honor Society competition, and a Michigan Veterans Small Business Award nomination.
Parish described economic effects from veterans accessing benefits, saying VetLife estimates local federal benefit dollars coming into counties after outreach. He urged legislative support for an appropriations request he said would let VetLife reach an estimated one-third of Michigan veterans annually and nearly the entire veteran population over three years if funded.
The committee did not take formal action on funding requests during the hearing. Members asked how the nonprofit coordinates with existing state and federal resource directories and about broken links in other apps; Parish said Battle Buddy emphasizes vetted, localized connections and that VetLife is coordinating with MVAA and county veterans offices.
Committee members thanked Parish for the testimony and asked staff to consider his appropriations request in future budget discussions.
