WDVA proudly unveils Veterans Peer Corps Program
For Veterans whose service didn't end with the military, the Veterans Peer Corps provides training and local resources to help them connect with other veterans in their own community, providing valuable resources and opportunities for interaction.
Many veterans have a need for support services, including peer-to-peer interaction and connections. Some veterans need to talk about their experiences with combat, deployment, or other situations experienced during their time in the military. With that said, there may be no better person to talk about these experiences with, than with another veteran.
Serving in the military provides people with a unique sense of community and connection to one another. That’s what makes the Peer Corps so exciting! Who better than a fellow veteran to reach out and invite other veterans to join them, and to make sure they are connected to each and every benefit they earned by serving in the military.
A Veterans Peer Corps Member is a veteran, or a veteran’s dependent, who receives training and certification and then serves as a peer mentor by facilitating meetings and activities. The Veterans Peer Corps gives veterans places to gather, share experiences and stories, heal together, and ultimately create a sense of a Veteran Community within their own community.
Veterans Peer Corps was created through the passage of SB 5849 in 2017, sponsored by Senator Jan Angel.
"I am so proud to have sponsored the bill to create such an amazing program using volunteers and folks to help our veterans in many aspects," said Senator Jan Angel.
Peer Corps Mentors will build community-based programs that connect veterans from all eras and backgrounds to each other; create opportunities for veterans to gather and participate in activities; and build camaraderie and trust through ongoing coaching, training opportunities, and support forums.
Sign up and learn more at: http://www.dva.wa.gov/program/veterans-peer-corps
-WDVA Director, Alfie Alvarado-Ramos