Saturday marks the annual Valor Day. That's an event set up at MCC's Brighton Campus to provide free legal services and counseling to local veterans.
It’s hosted by One Team, One Fight, which is a network of veteran service providers who collaborate in the greater Rochester Area and provide veteran services in the areas of education, housing, employment, law, counseling, medical and business.
Retired local Judge Patricia Marks is a volunteer for the Women's Veterans Initiative.
She says recent veterans, like those who served multiple tours in the Middle East, face some particular challenges.
“We certainly saw it in Veterans Treatment Court in the criminal justice system too, that we really had to treat it differently, we needed to conduct our court proceedings differently; the veteran would come into court and not feel safe in a normal court atmosphere, so it really impacted our criminal justice system as well.”
Kevin Saunders is a Marine Veteran and one of the organizers, and he notes there are already a number of agencies in this area ready to help veterans.
“Veterans Outreach Center, the VA Hospital. At the Veterans Outreach Center, you can go in there and get directed to anything that you could possibly need ; Law New York has a satellite office there two times a week; they’re there, everything’s there, it’s just getting the word to these veterans where we can help you, and not just that one issue.
The Valor Day activities run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Warshof Conference Center and Empire Room at MCC in Brighton.
WXXI's Veterans' Connectionsis a co-sponsor of the event.
