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2nd
Nov 2023
Nov 2023
Veterans Health & Resources Fair Set for November 16
Also: County Opens Veterans Service Office in Whiting
By Eric San Juan
Berkeley veterans – and there are many of them – will have an opportunity to get direct assistance accessing VA benefits, filing claims, and more during a Veterans Health & Resources Fair being held by the Ocean County Health Department (OCHD) on November 16.
The event will be held at the OCHD building at 175 Sunset Ave., Toms River from 4-7pm.
Veterans living in Ocean County will be able to received assistance with filing claims or death benefits, and information on transportation assistance. Staff will be on hand to help with mental health and substance abuse information, and to help with the Project Lifesaver Program.
There will also be access to seasonal vaccines, such as the flu shot, financial and legal assistance, screening for diabetes and other chronic diseases, and more.
You can register at https://bit.ly/VeteransHealth23.
For more information, call 732-341-9700, ext. 7234.
Berkeley’s vets will also have more access to nearby veterans services, now that a satellite office of the Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau has opened on Lacey Road in Whiting/Manchester.
A ribbon-cutting was held October 17 for the new facility, which is located at 82 Lacey Road. The building is home to Manchester Emergency Services, and is just down Route 530 from the Holiday City and Silver Ridge Park communities.
"Convenience is so important when it comes to accessing services that can help keep a roof over your head, food on your table, transportation, medical assistance, and so much more support that is available," said Ocean County Commissioner Gary Quinn. "Ocean County with almost 640 square miles can at times be tough to get around. We have been hard at work getting services directly to our residents and this satellite office will certainly help in our efforts to do that.”
The office will be open from 10 am to 3 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Veterans can make an appointment at 732-929-2096.
The new site joins the Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau main office at 1027 Hooper Ave., Building 2, Toms River. There is a second satellite office at the Ocean County Southern Service Center, 79 Main Street in Manahawkin.
The Health & Resources Fair and new Veterans Service Bureau satellite office join an array of other veterans services provided by the county.
For example, the Ocean Ride bus service provides free transportation for Ocean County veterans to area VA clinics. Trips are by reservation and must be scheduled in advance.
These free trips take veterans to the VA clinic in Brick Monday through Friday; East Orange Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons; Lyons on Tuesdays; Philadelphia on Wednesdays; and Marlton on Fridays.
For the Brick facility, call (732) 736-8989 and press 1 to schedule a pick-up up to four weeks in advance.
For the out of county facilities, call the Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau directly at (732) 929-2096. Please try to provide two weeks notice if possible.
According to the county, “Due to the long travel time to reach the various VA clinics, emphasis is placed on departures from centralized pick-up locations which are located conveniently throughout the County; including the Ocean County Administration Building, Southern Ocean County Hospital and others. Limited home pick-ups are available based on a case-by-case basis related to the mobility needs of the veteran.”
For more information, visit www.co.ocean.nj.us/OC/Transportation or call (732) 736-8989.
In addition, the new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic in Toms River is expected to open in Spring of 2024.
The new clinic will be located at 1051 Hooper Avenue, right near Seacourt Pavilion in Toms River, and will be part of a larger complex that will include a new building for the Ocean County Board of Social Services and the county's own Veterans Service Bureau.
It will be a 68,000-square-foot facility with an outpatient clinic for veterans, parking for 480, and more. It’s about twice the size of the Brick location and is expected to serve in excess of 12,000 patients a year, making it among the most active VA clinics in the state.
The clinic’s services will include standard primary health care, as well as dental care, mental health counseling, physical therapy, and health services geared towards female veterans. It will be just one of 10 in the state, with the next closest in Tinton Falls.