Serving Those Who Served Our Nation

*A committee meets to make plans for The Outreach Center's future.*

Where would we be without our veterans? They volunteer to protect our nation and our way of life, and we owe generations of veterans our very freedom.

For many veterans leaving the service, returning to civilian life brings many challenges. The benefits system can be difficult to navigate - 85% of veterans' benefits go unclaimed - and it can be difficult to make new friends and reaffirm relationships with family members who have not experienced life in the military.

Fortunately for the estimated 27,000 veterans in our area, The Utica Center for Development's (UCD) Veteran's Outreach Center of Central New York was founded in 2008 to be a one-stop veterans' center, where they either can find or be directed to the resources they need. The Center serves veterans from World War II through today's conflicts.

Initially, there was no paid staff and volunteers performed duties from building improvements to answering phones. UCD is located in the former YMCA building at 726 Washington Street in Utica, and The Community Foundation invested $50,000 in paid staff for the center through a discretionary grant in 2009. A second grant for $32,295, awarded in September of this year, will allow The Center to hire a full-time grantwriter/fundraiser. Having paid staff allowed The Center to offer many more services to veterans.

The Outreach Center is multifaceted. Visitors receive a warm welcome at The Bunker Café on the first floor. The Bunker is a coffee shop and Internet café that veterans can use for socializing and accessing the Internet at no charge. Veterans can also use the gymnasium, racquetball courts and boxing gym at no charge.

UCD has also partnered with several other organizations to provide services for veterans at The Outreach Center. The Community Foundation recently awarded a grant to help Compeer begin a Vet2Vet program that matches veterans with mentors; Workforce Investment Board has an office in the Washington Street location, and offers employment resources; Feed Our Veterans provides a food pantry specifically for those who have served; and the Legal Aid Society has offered free legal clinics. Those behind The Center plan to add services as they continue to meet the unique needs of veterans.

The Community Foundation is not alone in its support of this work. Funding for the organization has also come from government, with a $167,000 federal grant to construct a college access center at the outreach center and $20,000 from New York State to repair the roof. The Community Foundation's initial support in 2009 also enabled The Center to be awarded a $2 million federal grant to prevent veterans homelessness. The Center is one of five such organizations across the nation to receive this funding. Executive Director, Vincent Scalise, says, "Thanks to hard work and dedication the outreach center is currently serving 250 Veterans a month, and we plan to continue to expand our services and make a true one-stop center for the Veterans in Central New York."

Our veterans are not the only ones fortunate to have UCD in the community. Not only do they offer important services, but they also have developed strong partnerships with other organizations and individuals and can serve as an example of teamwork for all members of the community.