HELPING FELLOW LEGIONNAIRES/VETERANS -- KEY CONTACTS!
♦Marple Memorial Post 805 Contact: Claude Falcone falconeclaude17@gmail.com Ph: 1.610.350.7391
Note: Claude is our Service Officer and he is here to help you connect with responsible parties to give you whatever type of assistance that is needed.
♦Delaware County Department of Veteran Affairs: Veteran Service Officers DelcoVA@co.delaware.pa.us Ph: 610-891-4646 or 610-891-4539
Note: Veteran Service Officers, VSO's, are highly trained in all Veterans' benefits. There is never a charge for the services of a VSO! They are certified to represent the Veteran in the VA benefits process. Their scope includes county, state and federal authorized Veteran benefits. They will also assist in the completion of forms, their submission and follow-up. Delaware County has 3 on staff. They are a wonderful resource. Other PA counties also have Departments of Veteran Affairs with highly trained staff.
♦Our Service Officers: American Legion: www.legion.org/serviceofficers/PA#results
♦FRIENDS & FAMILY trying to help resisting Veteran to seek help: https://www.mirecc.va.gov/coaching Ph: 888.823.7458 or CoachingIntoCare@va.gov
♦Mental Health Support:
- Confidential Crisis Line 1.800.273. 8255 or CHAT at www.veteranscrisisline.net for Veterans and family -- Also a source for a Veteran that just needs to talk to someone.
- Preserve PA 1.855.284.2494 staffed by skilled and compassionate counselors available 24/7 to counsel Pennsylvanians struggling with anxiety and other challenging emotions.
- Get-Help-Now Helpline for Drug & Alcohol Abuse 1.800.662.4357 ~ Individual treatment options assistance for the individual or related friends and loved ones.
- Local VA Medical Center ~ Coatesville 1.610.384.7711 / Wilmington 1.302.994.2511 / Philadelphia 1.215.823.5800
♦Food Banks ~ Philabundance https://www.philabundance.org/find-food/food-map/?wpsl-search-input=19008&wpsl-radius=5&wpsl-results=25
♦Broad PA Referral support for all PA residents for all needs: Dial 221 or click www.pa211.org
Summary: Fortunately, there are an abundance of helpful resources for Veterans. The challenge is matching the Veteran's/your needs quickly with the best source of assistance. For our Veterans, the VSO, Veteran Service Officer, is often an excellent place to start for resources. Governor Wolf recently established a coordinated data base that provides all PA agencies with the various support available from all other PA agencies throughout Pennsylvania. If you like, you can contact our Service Officer and provide Claude with the general need and he can arrange for the VSO to contact you directly or refer you to another source of assistance. No Veteran needs to go without help.