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A new support group in Syracuse is connecting veterans with services such as education, housing, health, Veterans Affairs benefits and transportation. 

Syracuse University founded SyracuseServes veteran community support program, the 18th branch of AmericaServes, in June. Since the branch’s creation, program managers Lisa Murray and Ke’Ariah Parker have been at the helm of the program, working to change the lives of veterans and their families. 

AmericaServes is a nationwide association that sets up smaller city branches to provide veterans with benefits they may not even know they have access to. One of SyracuseServes’ goals is preventing veterans and their families from feeling like they’re starting from scratch after leaving the military, Parker said. 

The Syracuse branch directs veterans to entitled benefits to keep their families financially, physically and emotionally supported. Murray sees it as “air traffic control” for veterans.

“This program is your single-stream service of navigating the providers and services for each veteran,” Parker said. “By creating and maintaining a strong community collaborative, we can demonstrate that this coordinated care model works.”

SyracuseServes is not the only program in Onondaga County looking to aid veterans. SU professor Dessa Bergen-Cico conducted a study with Clear Path for Veterans, an organization dedicated to supporting the emotional and mental health of veterans. Bergen-Cico also studied the effects therapy and service dogs had on post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. 

SyracuseServes is expanding its reach outside the city’s community. In the coming months, the organization plans to engage with providers in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison and Oswego counties, Parker said.

Those who are seeking benefits as veterans are often forced to tell their story over and over to apply for different benefits, which can prompt potential PTSD, Murray said. 

“Creating a seamless process for veteran families to receive the benefits they are eligible for is what this is all about,” Murray said.

Published on September 1, 2021 at 1:00 am