Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Veteran Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Veterans Affinity describes outreach model and VA‑enrollment work
Summary
Veterans Affinity founder Rick told the Feb. 11 commission the volunteer‑led group focuses on getting isolated veterans into safe housing and enrolled in VA health care; he said the organization has enrolled about 1,999 veterans in VA care and coordinates long‑term care cases.
Rick, founder of Veterans Affinity, told the Veterans Disability and Human Services Commission Feb. 11 that his volunteer organization focuses on housing, VA enrollment, benefits advocacy and peer support for veterans — particularly older and isolated veterans.
"Our priority of effort is, first off, is housing," Rick said, describing services that range from facilitating VA enrollment to accompanying veterans to first appointments and advocating for long‑term care placements when needed. He added: "1,999 veterans we've enrolled in the VA" as a current tally the organization tracks.
Rick described a range of volunteer activities — "coffee hours," Welcome Home ceremonies, shadow boxes to honor veterans’ service, and town‑hall style outreach — that he said help connect veterans who otherwise might be isolated or unfamiliar with available benefits. He said many volunteers are older veterans themselves and that the group works closely with established veteran service organizations for appeals and benefit representation.
Commissioners praised the work and asked how many veterans and families the group has helped and whether the organization is expanding geographically; Rick said the organization currently focuses on Surprise and had recently extended services into Wickenburg and explored outreach in Yuma.
The presentation included emotional examples of rapid interventions and honors coordinated on short notice and emphasized the volunteers' role as advocates between veterans and the VA system. Commissioners encouraged continued collaboration and thanked Rick and his volunteers for their work.
