Outreach & Community Resource Network
Key topics
Outreach and opportunities to find, engage, and build a renewed sense of purpose among service members, veterans, and their families in their local community and beyond
Using the shared calendar, resource trackers, information, directories, and slack to increase efficiency and effectiveness of outreach efforts
Retaining volunteers and organizers and providing opportunities for service members, veterans, and their families to lead in the community and give back
Promoting existing initiatives, programs, and projects that sustain involvement and connections among organizations working to build supportive communities
Submitting events to the shared calendar using the tag #community and other tags so they appear above and on relevant resource or regional pages (ie, #fellowship, #retreat, #gaming, #writing, #volunteering, #LGBTQ+, #BIPOC).
Sharing the benefits of connecting to outside services to address the need for purpose and social support to individual service providers and government agencies
Building trust and relationships among service providers to support our collective capacity to make warm-handovers (not a phone number or URL), support a “no wrong door” approach to services, and respond early to unmet needs
Ensuring the perspectives of service providers and peers with lived experience are heard and guide our work
Making the fragmented and siloed array of locally available services, support, and communities accessible and visible to the military and veteran community in Massachusetts
Supporting the emergence of a national network with the capacity to increase coordination, cooperation, and cross-sector collaboration
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April 4, 2018 – Community Summit & Networking, hosted by Brighton Marine.
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November 30, 2016 – Community Summit, hosted by District Hall with a VetTogether at Gather.
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June 1, 2016 – Community Summit & VetTogether, hosted by VFW Boston Police Post 1018. During this summit, we focused on challenges commonly experienced across organizations. Participants selected their affinity group based on their main focus area, including community, advocacy, health and wellness, employment, and education. We encouraged participants at each table to pick one challenge as a case study, then brainstorm possible solutions to share. You can find a recap here.
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March 30, 2016 – Community Summit, hosted by Bay State College with networking at MJ O’Connors.
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November 18, 2015 – Community Summit, hosted by District Hall with VetTogether at Gather.
Developed by Swords to Plowshares, TOOLBOX.vet is an online library that aims to better equip advocates and providers with the tools they need to connect with veterans of all ages and assist them. The Veteran Advocate: History & Concept of Veteran Community-Based Care and Advocacy includes Response of Community to the Needs of Veterans.
Community Resource Network Directory
The outreach and community network brings together representatives from organizations enriching the lives of veterans and their families by building supportive communities and peer-to-peer networks around various interests and activities for the military and veterans community. This network includes organizations focused on outreach, community building, purpose, and connection.
Veterans’ Posts & Auxiliaries in Massachusetts
There are nearly 600 different veterans posts and chapters of national Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) in Massachusetts. The directory includes information about most posts in Massachusetts all in one place (American Legion, VFW, DAV, VVA, AMVETS, etc). From a desktop, you can filter by post, chapter, or detachment or by town, region, or organization. You’ll find points of contact, websites, meeting information, etc., along with regular member meeting dates as available.
Covid-19 Resource Tracker
“Humans don’t mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary.”