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Welcome to the January 2026 edition of the Forward March Veterans’ Newsletter. We appreciate our subscribers who look to us for the latest news impacting our State’s nearly 1.4 million Veterans, their families and survivors. Serving as the premier point of entry for Florida Veterans, the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates a network of nine State Veterans’ Homes and provides statewide outreach to connect our Veterans with their earned services, benefits and support.
The 2026 Florida Legislative Session began on Jan. 13, and we are actively working to advocate on your behalf with our legislators and their staff members. I presented department updates to both the Florida Defense Support Commission and Florida Senate Appropriations Committee this month and anticipate other opportunities during the remainder of the legislative session. You can follow the week-to-week progress of Veteran-related legislation by visiting our website at https://floridavets.org and clicking on “2026 Veteran Legislation” in the rotating banner.
In conjunction with Federal, State and local partners, we are finishing the plans for the 120-bed Collier County State Veterans’ Nursing Home and adjacent Veterans’ Adult Day Health Care facility. I traveled to Naples earlier this month for a property dedication ceremony and look forward to a groundbreaking and the beginning of construction later this year.
Our Women Veterans’ Expo in Gainesville on Jan. 10 was a success, and I thank State Women Veterans’ Coordinator Vanessa Thomas for helping to lead the state effort to connect more Women Veterans with earned services and support.
If you’re in Tallahassee on Feb. 2-3, please visit us from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Capitol’s second floor rotunda for Military and Veterans Appreciation Day at the Capitol. Hosted by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the annual event brings together key Veteran Service Organizations to salute Florida’s Veterans and connect transitioning servicemembers, Veterans, and their families with earned benefits, services and support at no cost.
For those who can’t make it to Tallahassee, you can connect with our State Veterans’ Service Officers at (727) 319-7440 or via email at FDVA.VSO@FDVA.FL.GOV. Contact information for State and County Veteran Service Officers is online at https://www.floridavets.org/locations/. Don’t forget our team of Hope Navigators is also hard at work connecting Veterans and their families with resources to improve their economic quality of life. Contact one of our Hope Navigators today at HopeNavigators@fdva.fl.gov or call (833) GET-HOPE.
Learn more about Veterans’ issues by following us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn. A free Mobile App is also available by visiting https://app.floridavets.org.
I appreciate all Floridians for making the Sunshine State the most Veteran-friendly, appreciated, and sought after State in the Nation. Please share this newsletter with others.
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TALLAHASSEE – With the close of 2025, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA) are highlighting policies and initiatives providing critical support to our state’s nearly 1.4 million Veterans, their families, and survivors. Governor DeSantis signed many veteran-friendly bills into law following the 2025 Florida Legislative Session. To read more on new legislation and initiatives, click here. |
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The 2026 edition of the Florida Veterans’ Benefits Guide is now available for shipping. Order your individual or bulk copies today! For details, visit: https://bit.ly/450Lakh
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FDVA Executive Director James S. Hartsell addresses a capacity crowd at the Property Dedication Ceremony for the planned 120-bed Collier County State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Naples, Jan. 9, while FDVA Communications and External Affairs Director Steve Murray looks on. Collier County is donating more than 23 acres for the project, in addition to providing state matching funds to supplement federal funds used for development and construction. A groundbreaking ceremony is planned for the skilled-nursing facility during summer 2026. Photo courtesy of Naples Daily News.
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FDVA Executive Director James S. Hartsell addresses more than 200 Florida county leaders on recent Veterans’ initiatives while attending the Florida Association of Counties’ Legislative Day in Tallahassee, Jan. 21.
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Members of the Florida Governor’s Challenge pose for a group photograph following their annual meeting at the FSU Alumni Center in Tallahassee, Jan. 16. Comprising mental health professionals and key state Veterans’ advocates, the national Governor’s Challenge initiative helps local leaders in community and state governments work together to promote and expand mental health initiatives and prevent suicide among Veterans. For more information, visit www.SaveFLVets.org.
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FDVA State Veterans’ Service Officer Don Anderson connects a local Veteran with earned services and benefits at the 11th Annual Veterans Expo at the American Legion Highlands Post 69 in Avon Park, Jan. 10.
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Thank you to everyone who participated in the Women Veterans Expo in Gainesville, Jan. 10. Attendees learned about the benefits they’ve earned, expanded their professional networks and connected with fellow Veterans. Florida is home to the second-largest population of Women Veterans in the nation, with more than 172,000 calling the Sunshine State home. For more: https://bit.ly/49XxgkH
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 Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, second from left, delivers a check in the amount of $9,151 to Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home Administrator Marlies Sarrett, at her Land O’ Lakes skilled-nursing facility, Dec. 18. The funds will be used to help with a Veterans Therapy Room.
The Florida Veterans Foundation recently donated a SUV to the Disabled American Veterans to help Tampa-area Veterans seeking care at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. The SUV, one of four donated by the Foundation to the DAV transportation network in Florida, will play a vital role in helping Veterans access the care and services they’ve earned by providing reliable transportation to medical appointments. For more on the activities of the Foundation, visit https://www.helpflvets.org/.
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The nomination deadline for the Class of 2026 Florida Veterans' Hall of Fame is March 30. If you know a Veteran who has made a significant civic, business, or public service contribution to the state of Florida, nominate them today. More information and nomination forms are available at: https://bit.ly/4oMjerG
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The U.S. Department of Labor announced Jan. 16 the availability of $23 million in grant funding to support organizations working to help homeless Veterans and those at risk of homelessness by providing training and employment services. Read more:https://bit.ly/49ZRaMV.
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To contact a State Veterans’ Service Officer from anywhere in Florida, call (727) 319-7440 or send an email to FDVA.VSO@FDVA.FL.GOV. A reminder that all services provided by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs are free to the client.
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The Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs operates a network of State Veterans’ Homes and provides statewide outreach to connect Veterans with earned services, benefits and support. In addition, we are able to effectively double our sign-on, retention and merit bonuses to eligible direct-care staff. Click on the graphic (above) to join our award-winning team by visiting bit.ly/48g5lLy.
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The Florida Veterans Brain Health & Suicide Prevention Program is made possible through a partnership between The Mac Parkman Foundation and the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs. The program provides no-cost vital resources and information aimed at enhancing brain health, improving quality of life, and preventing suicides among those who have served our country. To read more, click here. Visit the program’s website at https://florida.mpfact.org/.
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