Kelly Fitzpatrick, director of the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA), will host a live virtual town hall meeting this week to discuss women veterans’ services, answer questions and hear challenges and experiences from Oregon women veterans. Trained and certified Veteran Service Officers and other benefits experts will also be on hand to provide direct assistance to participants and help connect them to services, file a claim for benefits or submit an appeal for earned benefits that had previously been denied. “Women veterans have served honorably in our nation’s military in every American conflict since — and including — the Revolutionary War,” said Fitzpatrick, who is the first woman director in the 75-year history of ODVA. “And yet, too often, women veterans feel invisible either because they don’t know there are benefits and services available to them, or they are having difficulty accessing those earned benefits and services.” “At ODVA, our mission is to serve and advocate for all Oregon veterans. We hope to hear from many women veterans at this event, so we can provide direct support and deepen our understanding of the challenges facing women veterans and their families in these unprecedented times,” Fitzpatrick said. The Virtual Women Veterans Town Hall will be held at noon Friday, Nov. 20, via Zoom. You may register online at oregon.gov.odva/Connect/Pages/Townhalls.aspx. Submit questions for Director Fitzpatrick in advance by pre-registering or emailing orvetsbenefits@odva.state.or.us. Registration is recommended but not required. Callers and questions will be welcomed on a “first come, first served” basis. To call in for the meeting without registering, dial 888-788-0099, and use meeting ID 834 0608 6921. The passcode is 717322.
