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Closing Up to date on November 11, 2023 by way of BVN
Aryana Noroozi
Riverside lit up its County Management Middle construction with inexperienced lighting fixtures in harmony with the Nationwide Affiliation of Counties (NACo) and the Nationwide Affiliation of County Veterans Provider Officials (NACVSO).
On Tuesday Nov. 7, Supervisors Karen Spiegel and Chuck Washington thanked veterans of their opening remarks on the Riverside County ceremonial light-switch tournament.
Riverside County is a part of the country’s 3,069 counties, parishes, and boroughs in Operation Inexperienced Mild, which indicates improve and appreciation for veterans.
The County Management construction will stay lit in inexperienced from Nov. 7 via Nov. 12.
“Our dedication to our veterans is unwavering. This gesture, easy however important, is our approach of claiming ‘thanks’ for his or her immense sacrifices,” stated Manager Spiegel. “We’re proud to illuminate our management construction in inexperienced as an emblem of our ongoing improve and popularity in their provider.”
“If you wish to have lend a hand, there’s lend a hand right here.”
Daniel Martinez has numerous reminiscences of his provider within the U.S. Army Reserves. One in every of his favourite reminiscences is celebrating his eighteenth birthday at sea all the way through the arena’s fourth greatest storm.
Martinez, who joined the Army at 16 and served within the Vietnam Conflict, traveled to Japan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. He additionally took section in a covert venture in Cambodia and later Barren region Defend. Whilst he recollects the ones studies fondly, he additionally faces the tough reminiscences from his provider.
“After I return to that position, it’s darkish,” he stated. Martinez shared how after his provider he suffered from substance abuse and as soon as tried suicide.
“That’s why I’ve my sister include me as a result of if I had been to force house at this time, and fascinated about all this — [it] wouldn’t be excellent,” he added.
Nowadays, Martinez has been sober for 34 years. He credited the Riverside County Division of Veteran Products and services for his alternative to hunt remedy for post-traumatic rigidity dysfunction (PTSD) and lung illness remedy from Agent Orange publicity.
Martinez fought for his case to get entry to advantages for thirty years, however used to be steadily denied by way of the federal Veterans Management. Ultimately, he started running with Riverside County’s Assistant Director of Veterans Products and services, Adam French, who used to be ready to ship within the forms and safe Martinez’s advantages inside a month. Martinez used to be even awarded a Vietnam Conflict provider medal, which he’d been up to now denied for years.
“My message to different veterans is if you wish to have lend a hand, there’s lend a hand right here,” stated Martinez. “When I used to be out of Vietnam, there used to be no lend a hand. The one lend a hand we were given used to be a health center prison or suicide. Now you were given a lot of these organizations out right here, simply announcing, ‘Come, we’ll care for you. Simply get right here and we’ll do the remainder.’”
He shaped a nonprofit of his personal known as United Veterans Nook Assets. The group supplies assets similar to meals and clothes drives, group of workers postings and a pipeline to dependancy improve for veterans.
Martinez works exhausting to be told about different organizations and their services and products to be able to perceive the place to ship his neighborhood if there’s a want he can not without delay meet.
Martinez defined that Riverside County is a number one power in offering assets to its veterans, however is aware of that no longer each and every veteran within the U.S. could have the similar get entry to to those assets.
“I’ve noticed numerous veterans which are truly dangerous [off] in the market…in small cities around the U.S. they don’t have the [same] form of investment,” he defined.
Now, Martinez is writing a e book as he continues to lend a hand others. He enjoys spending time together with his sister, who additionally lived in Vietnam whilst her husband fought within the Vietnam Conflict.
“What I’d truly like to peer is extra effort [put] into peace than we do within the struggle,” Martinez stated.
A New Chief for Riverside’s Veterans Products and services: Gregory Coffos merges a keenness for public provider, management, and veteran provider.
If Gregory Coffos, just lately appointed lead of the County of Riverside Veterans’ Products and services Division, may ship a unmarried message about veterans to his neighborhood, it could be to honor them for the liberties and freedoms American citizens experience as a result of their sacrifices.
Coffos is a San Jacinto resident and has labored for the previous ten years within the nonprofit sector, supporting unhoused citizens safe housing. He served within the Army for 5 years as a logistics specialist, assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 146 in Lemoore, CA.
Coffos and his team of workers improve over 50,000 veterans every yr. Their paintings is targeted round supporting those veterans in figuring out, registering for, and receiving their advantages.
“I’ve lovely grand visions of the dep.. I need to develop it into other dynamics,” defined Coffos. “No longer simply that specialize in claims and pensions, but additionally coming into the homeless initiative and the group of workers tasks and seeking to be like a one-stop store, the place veterans can come and be supported throughout with a 360 roughly improve.”
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