Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs

Minnesota Veteran - August

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Desk of the Commissioner - August

Have you noticed the change in the air? If you have, you are a typical Minnesotan sensing that summer is fading away and fall is here. With fall, and specifically September, we look forward to getting the families ready to go back to school and enjoying our County and State fairs. The ‘Great Minnesota Get Together’ will have one change. The Veterans’ booth has been moved to a new location, the lower level of the Grandstand. Much discussion has been had amongst our service organizations’ but the new location should enable us to get more Veteran traffic.

Thanks to efforts, more homeless Veterans are finding housing in Minnesota

Last August, Herman Johnson was homeless. A year later, the 62-year-old former U.S. Air Force mechanic is living in an apartment in St. Paul. He says one of the best things about it is being able to cook.

“I just fried up some chicken last night,” he said. “And I gave some to my neighbor.”

Johnson was among the 600 veterans who showed up Tuesday for the 24th annual StandDown at the Boy Scout Base Camp at Fort Snelling. The two-day event is organized by the nonprofit Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans and brings together a host of services for veterans living on the edge, making it easier for them to access everything from haircuts and health care to employment services, legal aid, assistance and other support. This year, a major focus was housing and the strides being made across the country in getting homeless veterans into homes.

Progress Ending Veteran Homelessness: Over 600 Veterans housed, more than 200 to go

On Tuesday, August 2, 2016, HUD Secretary Julián Castro visited the Twin Cities StandDown for Veterans organized by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV). In remarks to hundreds of Veterans, volunteers, and staff, he noted that nationally homelessness among Veterans is down by 47 percent since 2010, and that in Minnesota, it is down by 57 percent. He praised Minnesota’s efforts to join the two states and 27 cities that have already reached the goal of effectively ending Veteran homelessness in their communities.

MDVA at the Minnesota State Fair

The Minnesota Department of Veteran Affairs (MDVA) has a new location in the Grandstand with hopes of accessing more people at the Great Minnesota Get Together. Now located on the first floor of the Grandstand, next to Sweet Martha’s Cookies, MDVA will be tabled all 12 days of the fair, along with other Veterans Service Organizations who will be sharing our location throughout the duration of the fair.

Now located on the first floor of the Grandstand, next to Sweet Martha’s Cookies, MDVA will be tabled all 12 days of the fair, along with other Veterans Service Organizations who will be sharing our location throughout the duration of the fair.

Colonel Donald Patton honored with Veteran's Voices Award

“The 2016 Veterans' Voices Award recognizes, amplifies, and honors Minnesotans who have honorably served and are making extraordinary contributions to their communities. These actively engaged, former and current military service members go above and beyond to make significant, positive contributions that improve the lives of people across Minnesota.”

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