A LIFETIME OF SERVICE TO MASSACHUSETTS

Veterans

In 2005 Senator Kennedy convened a roundtable to organize communities to help returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq.  The roundtable included members of the business community, social services, health care and veterans affairs to identify ways that they could help.  In many cases, these veterans were dealing with unemployment and injury and felt they had no place to turn.  Senator Kennedy and his office were known to be the first place constituents could turn to for support and assistance.

Support for Homeless Veterans – Senator Kennedy worked with Senator Kerry, Rep. John Olver, and Rep. Richie Neal to help secure a total of $1.2 million from the US Veterans Administration to support United Veterans of America and the Veterans Hospice Homestead efforts to dedicate beds at both the Leeds and Leominster VA facilities to serve terminally ill homeless veterans, homeless veterans with chronic mental illness, and homeless female veterans.  They also worked to secure workforce development funding to help United Veterans of America undertake job and skills training for homeless veterans.