Submitted
Vestavia Hills mayor Ashley Curry
Our city hosted VET FEST Freedom 250 on June 30. This event was sponsored by the community affairs office of the Birmingham Veterans Administration. This group is instrumental in helping veterans access the benefits, services and support they have earned through their service in our armed forces.
There were more than 40 representatives from VA programs and community organizations on site. The attendees had the opportunity to explore a wide range of available resources all under one roof. Veterans were encouraged to visit each table, engage with experts and take advantage of the one-on-one guidance available throughout the day.
VA representatives provided benefits and counseling to 128 veterans and successfully processed 31 claims during the event. Meanwhile, Birmingham VA enrolled more than 10 veterans into VA health care for the first time, helping them begin their VA care journey.
According to the VA, “The success of VET FEST Freedom 250 reinforces the power and importance of outreach. Whether a veteran enrolls in health care, files a claim, learns about memorial benefits, or discovers a resource they didn’t know existed, every conversation at events like this has the potential to make a lasting difference.”
Thanks to all of the volunteers and organizations that made this event possible. We can never thank our veterans enough for their sacrifice.
We will be honoring our veterans again this November. Our Civic Center will be recognizing our senior citizens in the observance of National Senior Citizens Day on Friday, Aug. 21. On this day, we honor the wisdom, history and massive impact our seniors have on our families and our community. There will be a lunch and other activities for our senior residents.
To all the parents and especially the teachers out there, August is when you start counting down to the fast-approaching school year. It will be here soon. I hope everyone had a good summer vacation and is ready for the school year.
