PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Many veterans across Pueblo County don't fully understand available services. "I didn't know that was an option" is a common refrain. At Pueblo's Veterans Community Update, change is made through education and connection.
The now-annual event provides service members with information and new avenues for resources, bringing organizations together under one roof to help veterans find the support they need.
It's an opportunity to understand.
"To bring like-minded people together that want to help with the main goal and educate, inform, and motivate," says Bob McLaughlin, Executive Director of Mount Carmel Veterans Service Center.
The event creates space for ongoing dialogue about the community's needs.
"It's good to have that conversation and have a continuing conversation because these things and the dynamics in the community change all the time," adds Jacobo Varela, Director of Veterans Upward Bound.
Here, veterans receive updates on resources available to them.
"A lot of veterans find themselves struggling because they didn't really tap into the resources available to them."
Jacobo Varela knows firsthand.
"It's just really hard to get the communication out that these are here. People are not consuming media in the same way."
So Varela is helping bring it to one informational hub, using the gathering to share his program, Veterans Upward Bound.
"I help veterans go back to school," he says.
Career advancement, grants, and updates to claims services are all provided for veterans to take note of and make their lives a little easier.
"Make sure that nobody falls through the cracks, that our veterans that need assistance can get it, that our veterans that want to give assistance can also do that as well," says McLaughlin.
"I've seen people basically move from homelessness to having six-figure incomes and doing really well, and a lot of it is more about confidence and boosting their lives," adds Varela.
It's valuable information that not only helps veterans get ahead, but it's also befitting their service and is well deserved.
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