Minnesota Veteran - January

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Minnesota Veteran Banner

Desk of the Commissioner - January

Commissioner Herke new

2021 is off to a quick start with the convening the Minnesota Legislature on January 5. At MDVA, we welcomed the opportunity to provide an agency introduction to the Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee on January 7 and will present to the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee on January 19.This is the first step in the process to inform the Legislature about the agency, our mission and priorities to serve Minnesota Veterans.

Read More >>

MDVA 2020 Annual Report is Now Available

2020 annual report

MDVA is happy to announce that our fiscal year 2020 Annual Report is now available. This year’s report was focused on “Success through Partnership.” We value each and every partner we work with as we continue our mission of serving Minnesota Veterans, their dependents and survivors by connecting them with the federal and state care and benefits they have earned.

View Annual Report >>

Minnesota Veterans Homes Receive Vaccinations

silver bay

Over the past month MDVA received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and vaccinated Residents and staff at our five Veterans Homes located in Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis and Silver Bay. We are excited to celebrate this milestone and thank our dedicated staff for their willingness to participate to help fight the spread and keep our Residents safe! At our Minnesota Veterans Homes, we not only consider it our duty to provide the highest level of care to those who answered our nation's call, we believe it is an honor. The future looks bright in 2021 at our Homes!

Photos >>

DAV Donation Secures New Mobile Dental Van

DAV donation

The Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota (DAV of Minnesota) has awarded $28,600 to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to support the expansion of the MN Veterans Home mobile dental clinic. The Minnesota Veterans Homes mobile dental clinic is unique among a few in the state that provides on-site dental care to Residents of long-term care facilities. MDVA hopes to serve more than 250 Residents of the three outstate Veterans Homes, providing quality dental care.

Read More >>

Legislative Update

birdseye

On Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Minnesota legislature began the 92nd biennium when all 201 members in the House of Representatives and the Senate took the oath of office. The session will continue until mid-May. The main tasks for this year’s legislature is enacting a two year budget for the entire state, including a budget for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. They will also look to provide continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Veterans committee in the House will once again be chaired by Rep. Rob Ecklund of International Falls. The committee is officially known as the Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee. The Minnesota Senate retained the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee, but Sen. Andrew Lang of Olivia took over as chair after serving as the vice chair for the previous four years.

Updates will be provided throughout the session on the Legislative Affairs page.

MDVA Legislative Updates >>

Wish List for Minnesota Veterans Homes

Veterans homes logo

Looking for a way to donate to our Minnesota Veterans Homes? The following items found on each Minnesota Veterans Home page are our most common requests. Thank you!

Fergus Falls Giving Guide >>

Hastings Giving Guide >>

Luverne Giving Guide >>

Minneapolis Giving Guide >>

Silver Bay Giving Guide >>

MDVA COVID-19 Update

safely adjusting dials

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) remains committed to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. We are following CDC, CMS and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidance. Changes in our operations continue to provide a safe environment for both the Veterans and families we serve and our employees.

Read More >>

Additional Resources for COVID-19:

Dial Back Minnesota >>

COVID-19 Distance Learning Support Grant & Additional Grants

The MDVA COVID-19 K-12 Distance Learning Support Grant in the amount of $3,000 is to help mitigate the negative financial impact a family experiences by implementing their school district’s distance learning or hybrid learning plans by providing a one-time grant.

Applicants for the COVID-19 K-12 Distance Learning Support Grant must demonstrate a negative financial impact on or after August 1, 2020. A closing date for the K-12 Distance Learning Support Grant will depend on the availability of funding, but not later than June 30, 2021. In addition to the Distance Learning Grant, the following Grants are still available to Minnesota Veterans. 

COVID-19 Special Needs Grant >>

COVID-19 Disaster Relief Grant >>