South Shore

Based on the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates, approximately 10,688 veterans live in the 12 cities and towns in the South Shore region, including 719 women veterans. This page includes local events and directories of veterans’ services; VA-accredited VSO representatives, agents, and attorneys; veteran outreach centers; VA healthcare facilities; veterans’ posts and auxiliaries; elder services; and community resources, as well as veterans census and housing data.

Tag any events you submit with #southeast and #south-shore so they show up here and on our Southeast Region page. Use the listing below to search for events by city or town. As long as you include the name of the city or town in the event, they will show up in the local listings below.

The mission of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) is to act as the primary advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealth’s veterans. The Office provides outreach and support through various programs. EOVS offers assistance to eligible veterans and their surviving spouses through the MassVets Financial Benefits Program, administered by local veterans’ services.

Veterans may use the Mass Vet Benefit Calculator to see what they may qualify for and contact their local veterans’ services office to apply. MGL Chapter 115 requires each town/city have a veterans’ agent to administer these benefits, but two or more contiguous towns can also appoint someone to serve as veterans’ agent and form Veterans’ Services Districts. Many municipal veterans’ services office also have VA-accredited staff to assist with federal benefit claims.

Office Hours for Veterans Benefits

VA-accredited Representatives, Agents & Attorneys

The directory below includes VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys based in South Shore cities and towns from the VA Office of the General Counsel (OGC) Accreditation Search Tool, updated on a weekly basis. Accreditation ensures VA claimants receive qualified assistance aligned with VA Standards of Conduct. Attorney listings also include available official state bar data, license status, registration dates, and disciplinary history, updated on a monthly basis.

Plymouth Area Veterans Center

The Plymouth Area Veterans Center (PAVC) is a one-stop shop for veteran services launched by Volunteers of America Massachusetts with the support of EOVS to serve the South Shore area in October 2024. The center connects South Shore veterans with behavioral health care, VA and other public benefits, housing and employment services, peer support, and social and educational activities. Veterans seeking assistance or opportunities to connect can visit 20 North Park Avenue in Plymouth, call (617) 390-0280, or email the center.

South Shore VA Healthcare Facilities

Veterans in the South Shore area are served by the VA Boston and VA Providence Healthcare Systems. Anyone who has served in the military is encouraged to apply to determine their eligibility and Priority Group. Some veterans are exempt from co-pays due to their VA rating, income, or special eligibility factors.

South Shore Veterans Posts & Auxiliaries

The Veterans Posts and Auxiliaries directories include information about the VFW and American Legion Posts, Marine Corps League Detachments, and DAV Chapters and auxiliary organizations based in cities and towns in the South Shore area.

Elder Services in the South Shore

Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) are private, non-profit agencies established under MGL Chapter 19A. ASAPs provide direct and protective services, including information and referrals; interdisciplinary case management; intake and assessment; developing, implementing, and monitoring service plans; reassessing needs; and investigating reports of elder abuse and neglect.

Councils on Aging (COAs) are municipal agencies that provide local outreach, social and health services, advocacy, information and referral for older adults, their families, and caregivers. COAs and Senior Centers serve as advocates and links to support services for elders, families, and caregivers. They offer outreach, transportation, meals, health screenings, health insurance counseling, and life-long learning, social, fitness, wellness, and recreation activities.

South Shore Resource Network

The Veterans Collaborative Network Directory is a shared resource that includes the various organizations and programs participants are affiliated with, as long as they’ve signed in or otherwise participated in our summits to help us map the landscape. This is not an exhaustive list of programs serving the South Shore, but you’ll find many here along with their websites and event listings.

MassHire Southeastern Veterans Coalition

On March 31, 2022, MassHire convened a collaborative of organizations providing support, assistance, or programs along the South Shore in an effort to create a South Shore coalition full of resources, shared knowledge, and networking opportunities that will be advantageous to Veterans from Quincy down to the Cape. For more information, contact any MassHire Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP) Specialist in the Southeast region:

• MassHire South Shore – Quincy: Email Patrick Muldoon or call (857) 262-5885

• MassHire Cape & Islands – Hyannis: Email Albert St. George or call (617) 780-0349

• MassHire Greater Brockton – Brockton: James Schmit or call (617) 429-4668

• MassHire Greater New Bedford – New Bedford: Email Matt Sutton or call (774) 285-3099

• MassHire Bristol – Taunton: Email Kyla Walecka or call (617) 595-8080

South Shore Veterans Census Data

Based on the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates, approximately 10,688 veterans live in the 12 cities and towns in this field guide’s South Shore region. Veterans make up about 5.1 percent of civilian adults age 18 and older, or 4 percent of the total population.

Women account for approximately 6.7 percent of veterans in the region (719). Around 62 percent of veterans overall are age 65 or older (6,635), compared with 40 percent of women veterans (289). Around 75 percent of veterans served during a wartime period (8,066).

An estimated 217 people are currently serving in the Armed Forces (±161). The estimate for women serving is 0 ±32. Figures shown with ± include approximate 90 percent margins of error. A zero survey estimate does not establish that no women are serving.

Between the 2021 and 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, the region’s estimated veteran population decreased by 15.5 percent, from 12,647 to 10,688. The estimated number of women veterans increased by 6.4 percent, from 676 to 719. The 5-year estimates describe overlapping periods, not individual years; interpret differences alongside their margins of error, especially for small population groups.

If you serve veterans and are trying to learn more about their demographics, explore the ACS 5-year estimates from Census Reporter for the same 12 cities and towns below. These census links update as new releases become available; the figures presented here use the 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates. Figures updated in October 2026.

Housing Advisory Council

Established through Executive Orders filed in conjunction with the Affordable Homes Act, the Housing Advisory Council and Commission on Unlocking Housing Production is bringing together a broad range of stakeholders from across Massachusetts to advise the Healey-Driscoll administration on strategies to address the state’s housing challenges. A regional listening session was held in May 2024 (see the data below). If you missed them, you can still provide feedback here.