SERINO THANKS VOLUNTEERS FOR HELPING PUT VETERANS FIRST

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY—Forty-five volunteers turned out on Sunday, October 23, 2016 to help Senator Sue Serino honor roughly 300 veterans and their guests at her Veterans Appreciation Pasta Dinner at the American Legion in Poughkeepsie.

“It is critical that we take the time to remind our veterans that they have the support and appreciation of our local community and that is what yesterday’s event was all about,” said Senator Serino. “These events have grown exponentially since we started hosting them last year and I cannot thank our dedicated team of volunteers enough for helping to make the event a huge success. From girl scouts, to local law enforcement, I was blown away by just how many stepped up to join our staff to honor our veterans. While words may never be enough to fully express our gratitude to our veterans and their families for their countless sacrifices, it’s events like these that remind them just how much our community values all that they have done and continue to do.”

This is the fifth appreciation dinner hosted by Senator Serino since she took office with the others held in Wappingers Falls, Rhinebeck, Putnam County, and Red Hook. Thanks to the support of the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer PTSD Vet2Vet Veterans Peer Services, each event has been free and open to local veterans and a guest. Representatives from the program were on hand to help connect local veterans with critical services.

“Last year, I was proud to be able to deliver $185,000 to expand the Joseph P. Dwyer Program into Dutchess County,” Serino continued. “The peer-to-peer program has a proven track record of helping to empower our local veterans who might be struggling with PTSD and other conditions related to their service. With representatives from the program on hand, as well as the Dutchess County Division of Veterans Services, the event also provided an important opportunity for us to connect veterans with critical services available here in our community.”

Nonperishable food items were also being collected to donate to the Castle Point Food Pantry.

The final event of the year is being held in conjunction with Senator Terrence Murphy at the Putnam County Golf Course on October 30, 2016.

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