MVOC reports progress during annual meeting By Owen Boss

By Owen Boss GARDNER — The Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center held their annual meeting Thursday night to review progress made over the course of the last year, discuss changes in the timing for attracting veteran applicants, and to report that both the center and its alternative locations for veteran housing are filled to capacity. Director of the outreach center, Darrell Keating, said that one of the more important issues involves the stage of recovery at which the center can begin discussing veteran involvement. According to Mr. Keating, there are three phases involved in the rehabilitation of returning veterans, and the outreach center is currently only involved in the first stage. “The hospitals invite us to come and meet with returning veterans during the first phase, and we want to be more involved in phases two and three,” said Mr. Keating. “Where they put us in, by the time (veterans) are ready to leave other people have either filled the open positions or they have forgotten some of the more important information.” Mr. Keating said that being involved during the later stages of the rehabilitation process would provide the center a better opportunity to include these veterans in their various outreach programs. “If we are involved in phases two and three we can present information and they will be able to make a decision at that time and apply rather than wait, apply, and then a month and a half later see whether we have a space or not. We are trying to focus our recruiting efforts closer to when they are going to be completing the program.” Although the center has received level funding for fiscal 2009, the directors were proud to report that all of the housing available within the building will be filled to capacity, and the additional rooms offered at the center’s Unity House are also expected to be full. oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 4 on 6/27/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 152)