The Fifth Annual Veteran Benefit Expo, the state’s largest veteran resource event, comes to eastern Oregon for the first time this summer. The Expo, which has previously served veterans in Salem, Portland, Redmond and Medford, will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 27, at the Pendleton Convention Center. The purpose of the event 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 Expo offers resources from many different benefit areas, including health care, claims assistance, finance, home loans, long-term care, mental health, education, business and recreation. The annual Expo is organized by the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs and is hosted in different locations throughout the state. “One thing we hear from veterans year after year with this event is that they’re blown away by all the benefits and resources they never knew existed,” ODVA Director Kelly Fitzpatrick said. “Most come to the Expo with some idea of a few areas they want information in, but they always walk away with a whole lot more.” This year’s event is being presented in partnership with Oregon Lottery, a longtime supporter of causes important to Oregonians, including public education, the environment and the veteran community. ODVA invites government and nonprofit organizations that provide direct services to veterans in Oregon to participate in this year’s Expo. We also welcome for-profit companies that are interested in hiring veterans to participate in the Veteran Career Fair that is held in conjunction with the Expo. Interested organizations may request participation online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/orvetexpo19. There is no fee to participate, however ODVA reserves the right to limit participation based on space availability and the suitableness of services an organization provides to veterans. For more information about the Expo, visit www.expo.oregondva.com.
