Gillibrand: New Online Tools Help Veterans, Service Members And Families

To help salute Veteran’s Day, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, says she has launched a new online tool on her Senate website today to provide a one-stop online shop for New York’s men and women in the military, veterans, and their families.

The site aims to support veterans’ local needs and equip them with federal agency resources across a wide range of topics including federal job listings, career counseling, education benefits and scholarships, small business funding, housing assistance, health services, resources for women veterans, wounded warriors, and family and caregiver assistance.

“Across New York, I hear from many veterans and their families on how daunting and challenging finding help can be," Gillibrand said. "Our brave service members and veterans have made incredible sacrifices protecting our freedom. And it is our duty to make sure our men and women have every opportunity to succeed in this tough economy. From applying for federal jobs to accessing grants to visiting the nearest benefits center, this website aims to provide our troops, veterans, and families with easy access to critical government resources and information they need and deserve.”  

Highlights of Senator Gillibrand’s new online resource tool include:  

Helping Service Members and Veterans Apply for Jobs, Access Career Counseling and Jobs Sites. To help troops and veterans apply for and get hired for federal jobs, Senator Gillibrand’s page lists websites such as the Department of Labor’s new initiative MyNextMove.org/Vets, MilitaryOneSource.Mil, GIJobs.com,  and local career assistance centers which help soldiers translate and match their military skills with civilian careers. These websites and centers offer Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) translator tools to assist veterans in creating compelling, easy-to-read resumes that clearly define the military skills that recruiters and organizations look for. There are also online job search websites specifically for homeless veterans (Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program).  

Equipping Veterans with Local Resource Centers. To help New York veterans find their nearest resource center, Senator Gillibrand’s site maps seven key resource offices that veterans can contact and visit in each of the 62 New York counties. Local offices include the NYS Department of Labor Career One-Stop Center, Veteran Workforce Development Center, state and county benefits service officers, Small Business Development Center, VA Medical Center, Public Housing Authority, Department of Social Services, and Taxpayer Assistance Centers.  Senator Gillibrand also links to the New York State Attorney General’s legal services for veterans.  

Helping Veterans Access Education Grants, Scholarships, and Loans. Senator Gillibrand targets federal and state education grants, scholarship, award and loan opportunities specifically for veterans. In addition to the Montgomery Bill and post-9/11 GI Bill, the website links to programs designed for those who served, including the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, which provides up to $5,500 in funding for a student whose parent served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq or Afghanistan and died during service after 9/11; the Reserve Education Assistance Program, which provides financial educational support to active duty reservists; and the Veterans Tuition Awards, which provides up to the full cost of undergraduate tuition at the State University of New York.  

Supporting Veterans’ Family Members and Caregivers. Family members taking care of wounded service members post-9/11 can access the Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers which provides additional VA Services. There are also counseling services and caregiver assistance for families, including the Navy-Marine Corp Relief Society, and the Army Family Readiness Group.