Veterans Association of Bristol County buys larger Fall River City center, plans counseling and food storage

The Veterans Association of Bristol County has bought a building on Globe Street in Fall River City and hopes to open a larger veterans center next spring, McKenna Borges reported for FRED TV.

The move follows the association outgrowing its Pine Street facility and is intended to expand services for local veterans, including private counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder and other medical needs, office space for specialists who help with financial planning and VA loan applications, and a large refrigeration system to accept more food donations, Borges said. Organizers and attendees urged community support and volunteerism to help the center succeed.

Marine Ken Levesque told the audience that local veterans are overdue for a modernized central location. Christine Tron, who served 30 years in the Army, urged vigilance and peer support for women in the military, saying, "Watch your back. Watch your buddy's back. Watch your buddy's back regardless of gender." Tron also referenced trauma among women veterans, noting that some have been assaulted, killed themselves, or are still working through trauma.

The report also noted a nearby community exhibit: more than 200 people attended a solo show by artist Brian Fox titled "In the Valley of the Shadow," which depicts wartime scenes from World War II to the present. Borges said the association hopes the new center will allow it to broaden programs that help veterans secure jobs and housing and better integrate into the community.

Organizers asked residents to stay involved by volunteering and spreading the word. The opening timeframe was given as "next spring"; no exact date, budget figures, or formal approvals were specified in the report.