The Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative has continued to actively serve our veteran community throughout the COVID–19 pandemic which began one year ago.

The Veteran Center, located on Lyons Ave in Newhall, received a new coat of paint, repositioned all furnishings within the Center to meet COVID-19 requirements, acquired PPE and sanitizing supplies and installed a new answering machine.

During this time, we also continued to work with numerous companies, organizations, and individuals in the Santa Clarita community. In recent months, their generosity was particularly helpful. Partners include The Gorman Learning Center which held a canned and packaged goods drive, the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center which provided turkeys, Sprouts Farmers Market which donated food gift cards and, Elks Lodge #2379 provided canned and packaged goods as well as turkey dinners and Walmart gift cards and toys. As a result of these generous donations, we were able to continue supporting veterans and their families especially during the holidays.

During the first quarter of 2021 we hope to be able to resume our monthly General Member meetings and re-open the Veteran Center for drop-in visits. We have an enthusiastic group of new volunteers who are looking forward to helping our veterans in any way they can.

Although we do not have Veteran Service Officers (VSO) or Post Service Officers (PSO’s) on site to assist with VA benefits at this time, we have been referring veterans to resources via telephone and email so they can receive answers to their questions.

As a nonprofit volunteer organization, the Collaborative relies upon donations to keep the Center open. Fortunately, due to our generous partners, we are able to provide referrals to businesses offering reduced cost or free services covering medical/dental appointments, financial, legal, housing. They also provide employment assistance and job training, counseling, educational and home care needs, and more. If you and/or your company would like to become part of the Collaborative, please let us know and we will be happy to meet with you.

Our financial position during 2020 has improved dramatically thanks to individual donations amounting to $32,500 and grants from the L.A. Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund and the city of Santa Clarita Community Services & Arts Grants. These funds will assist tremendously in allowing the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative to continue to serve our local veteran community throughout 2021.

The Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative is a gathering of dedicated businessmen and women, nonprofit organizations, and individuals pledged to care for the interests of local veterans, active-duty military and their families who have given and sacrificed so much for their country. For more information or to donate, visit https://www.scv-vets.org/.