Latest news with #TexasVeteransCommission
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
ETCOG secures $250k grant for veteran transportation services
TYLER, Texas (KETK) — The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) received a $250,00 grant that will provide GoBus transportation to veterans in over 14 East Texas counties. Gov. Abbott names new leaders to Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission The Texas Veterans Commission awarded 213 grants to many Funds for Veteran' Assistance programs which will aid about 40,000 veterans. ETCOG will put this money toward funding a GoBus system. GoBus is a rural public transit system in East Texas that provides rides to daily destinations such as grocery stores, meetings and health appointments. The GoBus trips are available to veterans as well as veterans' spouses, dependents survivor spouses and active military personnel. For more information about GoBus and their services visit their website: East Texas residents asked to donate fans for summer relief 'It is an honor to receive this funding award from the Texas Veterans Commission and Chair Koerner, which allows us to continue our mission to support all East Texas veterans,' said Vince Huerta, GoBus Director. 'We are dedicated to growing the program and look forward to assisting more veterans this year.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas helps veteran-owned businesses, which contribute $1.18 billion to state's economy
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Veteran-owned businesses contribute $1.18 billion to Texas' economy — and Texas, in turn, has programs to support those entrepreneurs, according to the Texas Veterans Commission. 'We're a small team and our job is to assist all veteran entrepreneurs in the State of Texas no matter where they're at in their journey to start, grow or even exit their business,' said Megan Tamez, Texas Veterans Commission Entrepreneur Program director. KXAN News at Midday had the Army veteran, alongside Air Force veteran and business owner Robert Strong, join for an in-depth Q&A ahead of Small Business week, which runs from May 4 to 10. The week 'acknowledges the critical contributions of America's entrepreneurs and small business owners,' according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Austin, recognized as the best city for veterans to live and among the top 10 for starting a business, according to WalletHub, is home to many veteran entrepreneurs. One such business is Strong's Pretty Thai Specialty Sauces & Spices, which launched the same year as The Texas Veterans Commission's Veteran Entrepreneur Program. That program plays a crucial role in assisting veterans like Strong in starting and developing their businesses. Read more stories about veterans making a difference 'I wish I knew about the commission when we started our business,' Strong said, after describing his journey that most recently led to the launch of a line of hot sauces he described as 'a chef-crafted line of specialty sauces that gives your restaurant quality experience in the comfort of your kitchen.' Strong, who served in the Air Force and was deployed to Fallujah, developed a passion for Thai food during his travels in Thailand. After leaving the military, he attended culinary school and started a food truck in Austin in 2013, which eventually evolved into Pretty Thai Specialty Sauces & Spices. Pretty Thai has products available in over 50 H-E-B locations and plans to launch in Walmart stores across Texas by October, Strong said. The TVC assists veteran entrepreneurs by providing resources such as business planning, marketing and connecting them with capital. It also offers a veteran verification letter that allows new veteran-owned businesses to waive certain fees and taxes. Veterans can learn more on the TVC website. All facts from this article were gathered by KXAN journalists. This article was converted into this format with assistance from artificial intelligence. It has been edited and approved by KXAN staff. Read about our approach to using AI 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Yahoo
Veterans lost $419 million to fraud in 2024
Mar. 31—AUSTIN — Veterans reported losing more money to frauds in 2024 than in previous years according to new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data released in March. Scams and frauds frequently target veterans, servicemembers, their families, caregivers and survivors, and the FTC estimated veterans lost $419 million to fraud last year in nearly 167,000 reported cases of fraud. The Texas Veterans Commission and VA are working to raise veteran awareness of scams and education on how to protect against fraud, predatory practices and financial loss. Fraudsters may seek to take advantage of veterans on a range of their assets. This includes disability compensation claims, memorial services scams, personal finances, identity theft and more. The FTC reports the most reported scam category last year was imposter scams, with losses to government imposter scams increasing. Government imposters can approach veterans in a variety of ways. This may include posing as a government entity or a disability claim filing service and contacting veterans via emails and phone, even contact through gaming. Find more information and statistics on types of fraud, plus veteran specific numbers of reported fraud and losses from the FTC's Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024. How Veterans Can Protect Themselves: Find out about common scams, fraud prevention, reporting fraud and getting help from the VA Protecting Veterans From Fraud website. Learn more about identifying scams and what to do from Report suspected fraud by calling the VSAFE Fraud Hotline at 833-388-7233 (833-38V-SAFE). Helping veterans starts here. The Texas Veterans Commission advocates for and provides superior service that will significantly improve the quality of life for all Texas veterans, their families, and survivors. The TVC assists veterans with receiving their benefits, provides funding to agencies which provide direct services to veterans and provides administration of the Hazlewood Act education benefits. Learn more at
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Many veterans don't get the help they need. Austin is working to change that.
Some organizers might be satisfied with a monthly event that draws 200 to 400 people at a time, especially if that event is less than a year old. But Jesus Simental knows the need is far greater than that. As the veterans administrator for the city of Austin, he has seen the statistics. Among the thousands of Central Texans surveyed in the 2024 Needs Assessment of Texas Veterans, half said they didn't know which benefits they qualified for, and nearly 40% said they didn't know where to get help — distressing indicators that many who served our nation aren't receiving the vital support they deserve. To help close that gap, Simental partnered with federal and state veterans agencies last April to launch a monthly veterans resource fair. On the second Wednesday of each month, up to 25 organizations set up tables at the Veterans Affairs clinic in Austin. A few hundred people attend. Experts give presentations on topics ranging from disability compensation to home loans to survivor's benefits. The next one is on Feb. 12. 'I enjoy talking to veterans. I enjoy taking care of them, helping them with any issues they've got,' said Simental, who retired in 2012 as a field grade officer in the Air Force, where he served for 26 years. Ever since then, his work has been helping veterans — first, with the Texas Veterans Commission, now with the city of Austin. The biggest obstacle to vets getting help 'is just not knowing, not getting the word,' he said. For instance, Simental urges veterans and surviving spouses to see if they might be entitled to more assistance under the PACT Act, one of the largest health care and benefit expansions in VA history. The law, passed in 2022, expands benefits to service members exposed to toxic burn pits during their deployment. Crucially, for Vietnam-era veterans, the PACT Act expands the definition of who was likely exposed to Agent Orange and deserving of additional benefits for themselves or a surviving spouse. 'I've filed many of these claims myself (on behalf of clients), and many spouses were denied for that very reason, but now they can go back and refile,' Simental told me. 'So getting the word out on that benefit is very beneficial to a lot of survivors.' At the same time, veterans' needs extend in many directions. In the 2024 Needs Assessment, conducted for the Texas Veterans Commission, Central Texas vets most commonly cited the need for mental health counseling, integrative and alternative therapy, and support for entrepreneurs and job-seekers. Organizations serving Central Texas vets reported the greatest needs they saw were for emergency financial assistance, mental health counseling and employment services. Even if someone has been told they don't qualify for something, it's worth asking again, Simental said. He has seen plenty of cases in which a veteran received bad advice or misunderstood the information. 'A lot of them, once they're told (something) wrong, they run with the wrong information, and they never seek assistance again,' he said. So Simental keeps spreading the word about events and resources that can help. And the monthly veterans' benefits fairs at the VA clinic offer one more important perk. 'One of my VFWs brings out 170 burritos. That's probably a good reason to go out there. They're really good,' Simental said, chuckling. 'And I bring Round Rock Donuts, so you can't beat that.' "Get to Know Your Veteran Benefits" events are held in Austin on the second Wednesday of every month. The next one is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Austin VA Clinic at 7901 Metropolis Drive, Room 1G-101. The event includes presentations by agencies offering information and services, so it's best to show up when the event starts at 10 a.m. No registration needed. For information, contact city Veterans Administrator Jesus Simental at or 512-974-7742. The city of Austin has a detailed Veterans Resource Directory listing agencies that provide help on issues ranging from home repair to transportation to burial benefits. Visit Grumet is the Statesman's Metro columnist. Her column contains her opinions. Share yours via email at bgrumet@ or via X or Bluesky at @bgrumet. Find her previous work at This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin VA Clinic hosts events to help veterans get benefits | Opinion
