All of us were blown away by your amazing support over the past two weeks of giving. Your commitment to match every one of our sponsors’ challenges in just a matter of hours was unbelievable, and we could not have met this milestone without your help. Your generosity doubled our previous year’s record on Give To The Max Day. We were also the only organization to win two Golden Ticket prizes this year for an additional $1,000 toward our mission. We cannot express our gratitude for your continued support of our mission to ensure no Veteran goes unsheltered this year. Thank you from the entire team at MACV!
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Duluth chapter showed their ongoing commitment to serving Veterans by donating a payment-free van to a Northern Minnesota MACV Veteran in August 2020. Andrew, a MACV Veteran participating in our Employment Services and Housing programs, needed transportation for his job as a carpenter. We can’t thank DAV enough for coming through for another Veteran in need!
Shannon Gregory, Metro Regional Leader for MACV, sat down with Minnesota Military Radio to share how MACV combats Veteran homelessness in Minnesota. Listen to their conversation here!
The pressures associated with COVID-19 often add volatility to the living situations of Veterans who are currently housed. One such individual recently engaged with us, reporting that his current living situation is escalating and that he’s struggling with his mental health. Local case manager Kathy Kraft worked with the Veteran to identify communities which best fit his housing needs. She discussed the options she knew of in these areas with the Veteran and then enlisted the help of a fellow provider working at the Salvation Army’s local shelter to provide the Veteran with a temporary “landing place” while securing long-term housing. Remarkably, the Veteran moved into long-term housing at a property identified as a good match with his needs one day after arriving at the shelter.
Securing housing is only the first part of this Veteran’s story, however. MACV also assists Veterans to ensure long-term housing stability. In this individual’s case, he lost his job in January and has since survived on subsistence allowance, a temporary benefit offered by the Veteran Benefits Administration. This benefit is set to end in coming months, sparking the need for the client to figure out how to secure income in order to remain stable. After working with the Veteran to determine whether employment or relying on financial assistance is a better avenue for this individual, Kathy is now helping him apply for long-term benefits. This includes coordinating with the local County Veterans Service Officer to explore eligibility for Veteran-targeted programs.
MACV providers frequently partner with County Veteran Services Officers (CVSOs) to benefit from their expertise and knowledge of resources available to the Veteran population in their community. “My CVSOs are all awesome and welcome the chance to work with us,” says Kathy. “They appreciate the constant feedback and communication. It works well out here as for partnerships.” MACV considers itself fortunate to have such strong partnerships both inside and outside Veteran-focused organizations. We cannot fulfill our mission to end Veteran homelessness without this important support.
Message to all MACV Clients Currently Receiving Services – Call Us!
At Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, we are keenly aware of the struggles that many Veterans are experiencing as we cope with the impacts of the Coronavirus emergency. MACV continues to operate and serve Veterans, and delivering our services through phone and email whenever possible.
While we have assisted you in the past year, if your situation has changed and you are now facing uncertainty or challenges that are putting your housing stability at risk, please don’t wait – reach out to us now. Our housing, employment, and legal services teams are ready to support you as needed.
In addition to our direct services, there are a growing number of benefits and resources becoming available for those most impacted in this time. We are assembling a growing list of resources and information about our availability on our website at COVID-19 Link.
Call our staff today:
(833) 222-6228
email mac-v@mac-v.org
For legal support, call VetLaw:
651-200-4750
email vetlaw@mac-v.org
We sincerely hope that you and yours are well, we want to hear from you!
Here is the statewide summary of the availability of County Veteran Service Offices (CVSO), DAV, Minnesota VA, and other Veteran services across the state of Minnesota, with notes on how Veteran and families can receive services and how to contact each office.
Link to Updated CVSO’s, VA Services and other Military Members Support
Check out these resources and feel free to share with others:
Check out these resources and feel free to share with others:
Minnesota COVID-19 Updates: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/index.html
US Dept of Veterans Affairs: www.va.gov/
Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN 23): www.visn23.va.gov/
Area VA Medical Centers:
• Fargo VA Health Care System: www.fargo.va.gov/
• Minneapolis VA Health Care System: www.minneapolis.va.gov/
• St. Cloud VA Health Care System: www.stcloud.va.gov/
• Sioux Falls VA Health Care System: www.siouxfalls.va.gov/
VBA Regional Offices: • Fargo: www.benefits.va.gov/fargo/
• Sioux Falls: www.benefits.va.gov/siouxfalls/
• St. Paul: www.benefits.va.gov/stpaul
• Managing Stress and the Threat of COVID-19: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/ep/behavioral/stress_covid19.pdf
• COVID-19 and Healthcare Responder Stress: https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/ep/behavioral/responder_covid19.pdf
• Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope With COVID-19: https://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/resources/fact-sheet/outbreak_factsheet_1.pdf
We are continuing to provide services to Veterans needing support during COVID-19 closures and social distancing measures.
If you need assistance, we are open and our staff is available to support you. Our physical offices are closed to the general public and for in-persons service, but our phones and email are staffed.
We ask that you call or email prior to coming to our offices or scheduled appointment.
Please call main line at 1-833-222-6228 (statewide) and we’ll put you in touch with a case manager in your region. You can also email any question to us directly at mac-v@mac-v.org.
Our legal clinics will be cancelled for the next few weeks, and we will post new dates on our event calendar when can resume safely.
If you have legal questions, call our Vetlaw team at 1-651-200-4750 or you can email the legal team at vetlaw@mac-v.org.
On a limited basis, we will have staff at our offices to provide services to those Veterans without any other means of communication. Our offices in Mankato, Duluth, and St. Paul will be closed for walk-in traffic starting March 27th.
If you or a Veteran or military family you know is experiencing homelessness or may need housing assistance, share this information with your fellow service members. Our MACV team is ready to help.
We are committed to staying connected with Veterans in every community across Minnesota. It is important that we protect your health and the health of our personnel. Our entire staff will be available to assist virtually while we continue to comply with the mitigation strategies set by our state and federal leadership.
