I hope you are enjoying our long-awaited summer in Minnesota. At the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA), summer brings a number of opportunities to celebrate and recognize achievements. In June alone, we have already or will recognize the 75th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, Flag Day on June 14, the 75th anniversary of the Federal GI educational benefits bill on June 22, and American Allies Day on June 30. We also celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne on June 7.

Another recent and very important accomplishment was the conclusion of the 2019 Minnesota Legislative session in late May. MDVA appreciates bipartisan support from the Minnesota Legislature; the session ended with the approval of several bills supporting Minnesota Veterans and their families. Governor Walz has signed these bills into law.

As you may know, the Minnesota Legislature approves funding for both MDVA Programs & Services as well as our five Minnesota Veterans Homes. We were pleased that our base funding was maintained and requested increases were approved.

• Maintaining access for Veterans to MDVA State Programs
  Our Programs & Services Division ensures that Minnesota Veterans and their families can access support for housing, education, employment and other financial assistance. The recently approved funding allows us to maintain all our Veterans Services staff and continue outreach efforts. We support the County Veterans Services Officers who provide a local connection to Veterans in all 87 of Minnesota’s counties.
• Continuing much needed Programs
  We offer important resources for Veterans through a variety of programs including:
  • Higher Education Program
  • Women Veterans Program
  • Claims and Field Outreach
  • Gold Star Family Program
  • Tribal Veterans Service Officer Program
• Sustaining Minnesota’s Three State Veterans Cemeteries
  MDVA operates Minnesota’s three State Veterans Cemeteries located in Little Falls, Preston and Duluth. We are honored to provide burial services and lasting tributes to our nation’s heroes and their family members. We are currently working toward creating a fourth cemetery in Redwood County.
• Bringing essential, community-based services directly to Veterans
  One of our most successful programs is the Minnesota Service CORE Program (Case management, Outreach, Referral and Education). The CORE Program is dedicated to strengthening service members, Veterans and their families at no cost. We provide access to mental and behavioral healthcare, employment, housing, and financial counseling. This program is a unique, nationally recognized partnership between MDVA and Lutheran Social Service that allows case workers to respond to Veterans and their families across the state and in their communities who are experiencing challenges of various aspects of life. The CORE program has experienced steady growth and last year the program served Veterans and their families in 70 of Minnesota’s 87 counties.

I am also pleased to share that recently passed legislation included establishing four special days of recognition:

• POW/MIA Recognition Day (third Friday in September each year)
• Veterans Suicide Awareness Day (first Saturday of every October)
• American Allies Day (June 30 of each year)
• Hmong Special Guerrilla Units Remembrance Day (May 14)

You can read the full details of the recent Legislative session on our website's /mdva/news/legislative-updates/index.jspLegislative Affairs page.

MDVA is proud to offer many programs and services for Minnesota Veterans. To learn more about the benefits you have earned as a Veteran, please call 1-888-LinkVet.