On average, a veteran from the Vietnam War could be homeless within 10 years of leaving service. Now, a soldier returning home can become homeless in about seven months. The reasons behind this alarming statistic arevaried but economics are certainly at the top of the list.
To help veterans a little on the financial end, and to recognize their services, a new statewide program initiated by Albany County in September 2011, Return the FAVOR, (Find and Assist Veterans of Record, (RTF)) is stepping in, and giving businesses a much needed boost at the same time. It provides veterans with a valid form of identification, discounts for goods and services at participating businesses and highlights those businesses.
RTF supplies any honorably discharged veteran with a business size laminated card to serve as an alternate form of identification to the usual DD214, issued to soldiers once they complete military duty. Identifying veterans was actually the first goal of the program.
The secondary goal, to give area businesses a boost came about as a way to thank the veterans. The RTF card can be used like any other valid identification like a driver’s license and is less cumbersome to carry than the DD2-14 which is a letter sized piece of paper. A DD214 is the only proof veterans have that they served. If there is no form, a records request can be done to obtain the information, but can take several days or even months to get.
So far many counties have taken part in RTF including Albany,Saratoga, Orange, Rensselaer, Ulster, Greene, Warren and Washington. Every county has their own system for verifying eligible veterans for participation in RTF. A wide variety of businesses have partnered with RTF, including attorneys, hardware stores and insurance agencies.
Jerry Stanislowsky, acting director at Albany County’s Veterans Service Bureau said, “The program was coordinated through the Albany County Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Albany County Executive. Basically what we’re trying to do is to get it inevery county in New York State, that’s the goal.”
“County Executive Dan McCoy has taken great interest in this program because he feels that the veterans definitely made sacrifices and need this program. He’s had about 500 posters (advertising the program) to be placedin businesses asking veterans to come in for the card and merchants toparticipate,” said Stanislowsky.
Distribution of the posters began Friday, March 23, to all major national businesses in the county, as well as local ones. With 23,000 veterans in Albany County, that advertising will play a key role to informing those inneed.
Andy Davis, director or Saratoga County Veterans Service Agencysays that Saratoga County has been involved with RTF for about a year. Sincethe county’s participation approximately 2,300 to 2,500 cards have been issued and about 1,000 records requests have been done.
“We need to do this because most times people are coming to us in times of crisis, whether a family member who was a veteran who has died oris in a nursing home …People don’t really know that in order to get buried in a national cemetery or get veterans benefits, the only proof shows you were in the military is the DD2-14. It doesn’t matter if you have 10 combat tours in Afghanistan, if you don’t have that piece of paper you’re not getting buried in a national cemetery,” said Davis.
“We had a high demand of veterans coming in asking for some sort of photo identification for identifying themselves as a veteran. There’s no such thing as a national veterans ID card, the government does not issue one…It was an offer to the businesses to give back to veterans and most of them were willing to do it. They jump right on board. Once one or two businesses signed up it really took off,” he said.
Ian Murray, a Navy veteran served as a machinist mate from1980-1985 in Iran, and ran the propulsion systems on ships. He’s also the ownerof Brookside Nursery in Ballston Spa, a participating business with RTF.
Murray found out about the program through Saratoga’s Town Supervisor Tom Wood and was the first business in Saratoga County to sign on with the program. Prior to participating in RTF, he provided landscaping to buildings in the county connected to veterans such as the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in Quaker Springs and the women’s Veterans home onRoute 50.
“I just think that our veterans are forgotten sometimes. We dohave the holiday in November, but throughout the rest of the year I don’t thinkthat they’re honored enough and I was very pleased that our county picked upthis program and enacted it because it gives everybody in the business community another option to thank them for their service,” said Murray.
Karen Christensen and Kevin Jablonski own Mack Brook Farm in Argyle where they raise beef cattle and sell grass-fed beef from a retail space on their farm. Christensen was made aware of the program through a customer whowas in the military. Both had children serve in the military and say that itwas a good fit for them to join in RTF. Erik Weiss, Christensen’s son andJablonski’s son Jason both served in Iraq.
Christensen says that they consider themselves a military family,and even without that connection they would have participated in RTF. MackBrook Farm offers a 10 percent discount to veterans on all of their cuts ofmeat.
“We do feel strongly that these men and women are sacrificing above and beyond and we wanted to do more than just give lip service. We wanted to do something specific, it’s a small thing but it’s the thing we can do,” shesaid.
For more information on RTF, contact your county clerk’s office or your local veteran’s service agency.For programs in Albany and Saratoga counties visit saratogacountyny.gov/departmentsand albanycounty.com/veterans/favor.
There is another program also called Return the FAVOR based in Kansas City, MO but is not connected inany way to the RTF program discussed in this article.
