Living, Working, Learning, Healing… Serving Together
December 11, 2012
Since 2011, Montgomery County has been the home of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, which provides care and services to nearly a million beneficiaries a year. The county also houses many local organizations that provide health, mental health, employment, child care, education and other services geared to the local military community. However, for the more than 50,000 veterans, service members and families in the county, these services can be disconnected, hard to find and a challenge to navigate.
To address this lack of coordination, the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County (a Burness client) last month launched the Serving Together website. The website is the first online home in the county coordinating local resources for service members, veterans and their families to help them stay healthy, find local jobs and transition to civilian life.
The new website provides members of the military and other county residents with direct access to information regarding local organizations and resources, as well as guides to navigate the support that’s available to them. Key features include:
- A directory of information on dozens of local organizations that can help service members with everything from making a doctor’s appointment to enrolling their child in school to finding a new home.
- Custom resource guides on how to access veteran benefits, apply for jobs, find caregiver support and sustain healthy relationships through deployment.
- A calendar of community events featuring honorary events for veterans, discount opportunities at local businesses and more.
As Project Director Jessica McNurlen says in her kick-off blog post in the Huffington Post, “Our veterans and their families bring so much to our communities. Resources and services should be easily accessible for those who need them.”
With Serving Together, our community now has a way to give back by supporting the mental and physical wellness of the thousands who serve our country and call Montgomery County home.
