Constituent Services Stories: Veterans Affairs

Our nation’s veterans embody the definition of public service. As the daughter, grand-daughter, niece, and sister of veterans, I understand and respect the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes. I am committed to doing what I can to resolve any challenges preventing them from living the dignified, post-enlistment life they deserve.

Our office regularly works with veteran constituents on many issues, particularly in navigating bureaucracies to secure the benefits they are due, whether that means access to various Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services, treatment at the VA, access to education, training, and employment services, or financial planning and assistance.

I would like to share the stories of John and Sarah* to highlight some of the ways our office is able to assist veteran constituents.

John is living with a disability and needs a ramp to access his home. Unfortunately, the workers who installed the ramp did so incorrectly making it extremely challenging for John to get in and out of his house. He could not resolve this issue on his own and reached out to our office for assistance. We were able to connect John to the right organizations to quickly fix his ramp and improve his accessibility.

Sarah is a single mother who has faced various financial challenges in her post-enlistment life making it difficult to support herself and her children. On the verge of homelessness, Sarah requested financial hardship assistance from the VA. Despite her obvious need, her claim was denied. Our office is working with Sarah and the VA to further review her claim and ensure she gets access to every possible resource to get back on her feet.

John and Sarah’s stories are all too common. These heroes don’t want a handout, they just want the veterans benefits they were promised when they volunteered to serve their country. As your Congresswoman, it is my responsibility to fight for all active service members, veterans, and their families in Pennsylvania’s Fifth Congressional District.

In addition to our office directly serving veterans I am also supporting legislation to support our veterans. This Congress, I have cosponsored several pieces of legislation to help veterans and their families. These include the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, which would protect veterans exposed to Agent Orange; the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to ensure that the families of deceased service-members are given the benefits they deserve; and the Homeless Veteran Families Act, which would help homeless veterans and their children receive housing.

I also co-sponsored the Improving Legal Services for Female Veterans Act to increase support services for female veterans through the VA’s partnership with at least one non-governmental association. This bill will positively impact the female veteran community by creating more all-female floors in VA medical centers for women who live with military sexual trauma.

But the most direct way we can improve the lives of PA-05 veterans is through direct casework. Our office can assist veterans who have problems or issues involving the VA or another federal agency, including:

• VA Benefit Health
• Survivors Benefits
• Retrieving VA Records
• Caregiver Support
• Veterans Transportation Services
• Burial Benefits
• Housing Services
• Filing VA Forms
• Firearm Safety
• Employment Services

Please call our district office at 610–626–2020 if you or someone you know may need assistance. To learn more about our office, and for news on current legislative issues, please visit our website, sign up for our newsletter, or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*Sarah and John are pseudonyms given to protect the anonymity of these constituents.