Office of Veterans Affairs opens on Jefferson Boulevard

By Tessa Roy
Posted 9/20/16

Rhode Island veterans have a new home in Warwick. The Office of Veterans Affairs that will serve the state's approximately 72,000 veterans opened on Thursday. On its inaugural day, the new office was packed. Mayor Scott Avedisian, Brigadier

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Office of Veterans Affairs opens on Jefferson Boulevard

Posted

Rhode Island veterans have a new home in Warwick. The Office of Veterans Affairs that will serve the state’s approximately 72,000 veterans opened on Thursday.

On its inaugural day, the new office was packed. Mayor Scott Avedisian, Brigadier General Christopher Callahan, Senator Walter S. Felag Jr. and local veterans were among those in attendance.

“When we first started on this journey, our governor expressed to me [she wanted the office to be] an effective coordination center as a central point of access and intake for veterans and their families,” said Director Kasim Yarn, adding the governor wanted the office to “illustrate to our Ocean State veterans that Rhode Island is committed to ensuring every veteran has a chance to make it in Rhode Island.” Governor Raimondo appointed Yarn, a Lieutenant Commander and active duty Naval officer who will retire from his 20-year military career next month, to the position in February.

The new office at 560 Jefferson Boulevard has two case managers, an implementation aid, computers, wi-fi, a conference room, a new website, and other resources available for veterans who require its services.

“For the first time ever we have an office, a physical place, where a veteran can come park their car, walk in here, talk to a case manager, or use a computer,” Governor Raimondo said. “It’s just so much more accessible, friendlier and easy to use. Same with the website. Our old website was awful. It’s simple things that really make a difference for people.”

Liam Murnane, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate student and an Army National Guard veteran himself, was one of the interns who worked to put together the new office. Being able to finally see the results of the work was “unbelievable” to him.

“I knew it was a big deal, but I didn’t realize it until I saw it. It was a great opportunity that allowed us to get some real world experience to put our education to [use], and I’m truly humbled,” he said. “It’s great to be able to come back to the military, reintegrate, and help out my fellow veterans. It’s definitely a cause that’s near and dear to me.”

Speakers at the opening said this office would be an improvement on services currently available in Rhode Island.

The governor said she often hears that services are “uncoordinated” or difficult to navigate, but that Warwick’s office would provide better assistance. Emphasis was placed especially on the fresh website; the site’s home page leads veterans directly to information on benefits and resources relevant to their specific needs.

While the new office fills the need of an accessible location (it has a sizeable parking lot and is near both a train and bus line), it will need more work and more expansion as it is used. Governor Raimondo said community and veteran feedback would be essential to its evolution.

“We’re going to build on what’s here over time. We’ll see if we need more case managers. Director Yarn is out all the time talking to veterans, so what we do will depend on what we hear from them and what they need,” she said.

Yarn said he’s prepared to hear more from veterans and that he is committed to letting them know they have a voice.

The new website is vets.ri.gov. The office can be reached at 921-2119 and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

NEW BEGINNINGS:

From left, Governor Gina Raimondo, Bo Kenehan, Dick St. Louis, Dick Mende, Matt Troiano (behind Mende) and Director Kasim Yarn check out the conference room in the brand new Office of Veterans Affairs. (Warwick Beacon photo)

Comments

1 comment on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here

  • richardcorrente

    Warwick does not do enough for these Veterans that risked it all. That's why when the City Council was debating a bill to give the Municipal Pool fee to Veterans at "half-price", I stood up and strongly opposed it calling for "free-to-all-Veterans" instead. Camille Vella-Wilkenson agreed. The bill was amended and passed unanimously. I also believe that Veterans (and Seniors) should pay half-price for their car tax. These are two of the movements that I have pushed for and I will continue honoring our Veterans throughout my administration. Warwick presently has a $134 tax exemption for Veterans. Do you think that is a fair amount of money for a man/woman who risked their life for their country. I don't. Expect me to change that too.

    Please vote for me. I will honor our Veterans.

    Richard Corrente

    Endorsed Democrat for Mayor

    Wednesday, September 21, 2016 Report this