11/17/2021 8:00:00 AM
As we enter the holiday season and with Thanksgiving just a week away, I reflect on the last year and am thankful for the work our team is able to do on behalf of Minnesota Veterans and their families.
We are making strides to end Veteran homelessness in Minnesota. Just last week, we recognized the Central Minnesota Continuum of Care (13 counties in Central Minnesota) that recently effectively ended Veteran homelessness in their communities. We have now achieved that result in seven of 10 Continuums of Care in state, moving us closer to our goal of becoming just the fourth state in the country to end Veteran homelessness.
We continue to work to end Veteran homelessness in our three remaining Continuums of Care located in Hennepin, Ramsey and St. Louis Counties. We need landlords and property owners to step up and work with us to find more housing for our homeless Veterans. MDVA has several incentive programs in place that can reduce the risk to landlords and property owners. Track our progress at MinnesotaVeteran.org/EndHomelessness.
We are grateful to Gov. Walz and the Minnesota Legislature for funding two new staff who will be dedicated to our Veteran suicide prevention efforts. We continue to lose more than 100 Minnesota Veterans a year to suicide, a tragedy that is preventable with appropriate services and support to those in need.
Our new staff will focus on education and outreach to community partners to expand our efforts. We want to reach all Minnesota Veterans, not only those who are already connected to MDVA or the VA Healthcare System. And we are continuing our successful distribution of gunlocks to encourage firearm safety. Visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/EndVetSuicide to see how you can help.
We are committed to serving Veterans living throughout our state, and future expansion of three new State Veterans Homes and one new State Veterans Cemetery will greatly increase our ability to do so. In spring 2023, we will begin interments at the Redwood Falls State Veterans Cemetery. Learn more at MinnesotaVeteran.org/Cem. And in mid-2022, three new Veterans Homes in Bemidji, Montevideo and Preston will welcome new Residents. See MinnesotaVeteran.org/FutureHomes for more information.
None of these accomplishments would be possible without a dedicated and caring staff. Like many organizations, MDVA is feeling the effects of a workforce shortage, particularly in our Healthcare division. There is no job more satisfying than serving those who have served. Please encourage those you know who are looking for a new opportunity to check out MDVA. See more details at MinnesotaVeteran.org/Careers.
As always, if you need information or support on any Veteran issue, please visit our website, contact your County Veterans Service Officer, or contact LinkVet at 1-888-LinkVet.
Thank YOU for your service!
