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In this Update:
Veterans Assistance Available by Phone in July
At this time, Veterans assistance through my Shamokin Dam office will be available by phone in July. American Legion Service Officer Bill McGovern can assist veterans and their families with questions about VA disability compensation and pensions, education benefits, VA health care enrollment, burial benefits, survivor benefits and other veterans’ programs and services. Appointments are required and can be scheduled by calling my Shamokin Dam office at 570-743-1918. If any documents need to be copied or forwarded as part of the appointment, my staff can help coordinate that process. This service is available at no cost to veterans and their families. Seeking free, trusted help from a Veterans Service Officer can also help veterans avoid scams and exploitation from people looking to profit from their earned benefits. For more information about pension poaching, click here. Beware of the “Veterans Savings Program” Postcard Scam
Veterans and their spouses are being targeted by a new postcard scam advertising a fraudulent “Veterans Saving Program.” The mailer claims eligibility for an extra $185 monthly payment and dental benefits, but the program does not exist. More information about this scam is available here. Veterans Resource Fair in Lock Haven
A veterans resource fair will be held Friday, July 17, from 2-7 p.m. at 8 N. Grove St. in Lock Haven. The “Rock the Block Resource Fair” is hosted by the Veterans Multi-Service Center and will include on-site resources, family-friendly activities, kids games and free entry. The rain date is Friday, July 24. While this event is outside the 27th District, it may be helpful for veterans, service members and families who are looking to connect with available programs and community resources. For more information, contact Rachael Schall at Rachael.Schall@VMCenter.org or 814-417-8661. Veterans Benefit Train Rides in Berwick
The North Shore Railroad Company & Affiliates will hold its third annual Veterans Benefit Voyage on Saturday, July 18, during Berwick’s World War II Weekend at Test Track Park, located at S. Eaton St. in Berwick. Train rides will depart at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and travel south toward Bloomsburg before returning to Berwick. The featured locomotives will include LVRR 9052, the Veterans Unit, and LVRR 9050, the Memorial Unit. Proceeds from this year’s ticket sales will benefit Hunts for Healing and Expedition Orange, two nonprofit organizations that serve veterans. For more information, visit www.northshorewarehouse.com/usa or contact North Shore Railroad Company & Affiliates at 570-473-0912. Displaying the POW/MIA Flag at Public Schools
In June, the Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 835, which would require the display of the official POW/MIA flag when space permits, at public schools during times the U.S. flag is also flown. To read more about the legislation, click here. PA Guard Military Family Education Program
As students begin preparing for the fall semester, Pennsylvania National Guard members are reminded their families could be eligible for assistance to offset the cost of higher education. The Military Family Education Program is for Guard members who completed an initial service obligation on or after July 1, 2019, and is eligible to reenlist in the PA National Guard for a period of six years. The grants can be used for a degree-granting or certificate-granting curriculum, course of study, or training program required for entrance into a specific career at an approved Pennsylvania institution of higher learning. Read more details and find applications here. Posting of Veterans’ Benefits
With the enactment of Act 31 of 2025, Pennsylvania businesses with at least 50 employees are now required to display the benefits and services available to veterans from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs along with contact information for veterans’ resources. Veteran Burial Benefits
Eligible veterans and their spouses can receive no-cost burial benefits at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) national cemeteries. These benefits include burial in a VA National Cemetery, headstone or marker with inscription included and gravesite maintenance in perpetuity. Veterans’ spouses are still eligible for these benefits if they pre-decease the veteran or if the veteran is interred in a non-VA cemetery. For more information on veteran burial benefits from the VA, click here. National Parks Military Lifetime Pass
Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and members of Gold Star Families are eligible for a free Military Lifetime Pass at national parks, which will admit the passholder and accompanying passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas, or the passholder and up to three additional people over the age of 16 where per person fees are charged. Passes cover entrance and day-use fees at lands managed by the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. To request a free digital pass, click here. To request a physical pass, which requires a $12.50 shipping and handling fee, click here. |
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