Bexar County is home to the sixth largest veteran population in the U.S., according to the Military & Veteran Community Collaborative. More than 12 percent of San Antonio metro area adults are part of the veteran community.
In a growing city, travel throughout the region is a burden and obstacle for some service members and military families.
Call-A-Ride 4 Vets, a free service organized by the Alamo Area Council of Governments, recently received a grant to continue providing transportation to medical appointments, trips to the grocery and pharmacy, and rides to social events that can help enhance quality of life for members of the armed forces and their families.
Another new resource will soon be available to help local veterans navigate the extensive range of service providers in the area, to make legal, medical, employment, and educational assistance more accessible and convenient to the community.
The TXServes initiative is the first of its kind in the state. AmericaServes, a national network of public, private and non-profit service providers, will launch this unprecedented, collaborative effort later this month in San Antonio.
Guests:
- Donna Teall, Lead Veteran & Mobility Coordinator for the Alamo Area Council of Governments
- Clifton Bryant, U.S. Army veteran and Call-A-Ride 4 Veterans program participant
- Gen. Alfred “Freddie” Valenzuela (ret.), president & board chairman of the Military & Veteran Community Collaborative
- Beth Kubala, Senior Director for the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University
