Kelly Fitzpatrick, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs, will hold her first veterans’ town hall meeting in Pendleton next week.
“I really look forward to this opportunity to meet members of the eastern Oregon veteran community and learn about the concerns, issues and challenges facing veterans and their families in this part of the state,” Fitzpatrick said.
She will also answer questions and share the latest updates regarding ODVA programs and initiatives, as well as veteran-related developments from the 2019 legislative session.
The Veterans’ Town Hall event will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, July 26, at the Pendleton Convention Center. It will also be recorded and livestreamed on the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Facebook page for the benefit of those who are not able to attend in person.
The following day, and in the same location, ODVA and over 60 partnering organizations and agencies will be joining together for the Fifth Annual Veteran Benefit Expo, the state’s largest veteran resource event, which is being held in eastern Oregon for the first time.
The purpose of the Expo is to provide a one-stop shop for Oregon veterans of all eras and walks of life to learn about and access the full range of their earned benefits. The event will offer resources from many different benefit areas, including health care, claims assistance, finance, home loans, long-term care, mental health, education, business and recreation.
The Expo is free and requires no pre-registration. The event will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 27 at the Pendleton Convention Center.
For more information about the Expo, visit www.expo.oregondva.com.