Cayuga County's Veterans' Service Agency, 95 Genesee Street, 3rd floor, Auburn (315-253-1281, fax 315-252-2809), weekdays 8:30 to 4:30, counsels and assists veterans and their dependents with claims - compensation, pension, burial, health care, education, home loans, life insurance, discharge upgrades - gathers evidence and represents claimants through appeals, makes in-home visits to the housebound, and runs the VetVan to the Syracuse VA hospital.
Also called: veterans service agency, VSA, CVSO, VSO, claims, VetVan, Kevin Swab, Jennifer Wilder, Jonathan Cregg, Heather Garner, 95 Genesee Street, 315-253-1281, Syracuse VA, Auburn, Aurelius, Brutus, Cato, Conquest, Fleming, Genoa, Ira, Ledyard, Locke, Mentz, Montezuma, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio, Sempronius, Sennett, Springport, Sterling, Summerhill, Throop, Venice, Victory, Weedsport, Port Byron, Union Springs, Fair Haven, Aurora.
For: Veteran or service member, spouse, child, survivor.
What it does. The agency's page: it "counsels and assists veterans and their dependents in areas such as pension and compensation, health and medical, rehabilitation, educational and life insurance services", advocates "to ensure they receive the maximum benefits to which they are entitled under federal, state and local law", and "actively assists veterans in pursuing claims for burial benefits, disability compensation, pension benefits, real property tax exemptions and other benefits". The accredited-VSO sheet adds: claims initiation, development and representation with appeals; help with VA health-care enrolment, home loans and the VA loan guarantee, life insurance, non-service-connected pension and aid-and-attendance, service-connected compensation, college tuition fee waivers for children of veterans with service-connected disabilities, and upgrades of less-than-honorable discharges; referrals for alcohol and drug dependency treatment, community organizations, medical care including PTSD treatment; education on federal, State and local benefits; in-home visits for the housebound; and the transportation service to the Syracuse VA hospital. Anyone with a question about veteran benefits can come - widows, gold star parents, children of deceased or disabled veterans, friends and neighbours.
Who and where. 95 Genesee Street, 3rd floor, Auburn, NY 13021; (315) 253-1281, fax (315) 252-2809; Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Director Kevin Swab, Deputy Director Jennifer Wilder, Veterans' Service Officer Jonathan Cregg, Veteran Service Assistant Heather Garner. A Cayuga County Veteran Service Advisory Board sits behind the agency and names the county's Veteran Community Service Award each year - the award honours a county veteran "who has had a positive impact in their community since leaving military service" with $500 donated to a Cayuga County veteran non-profit of the recipient's choice, nominations due July 1 (John Hai the 2024 recipient, Bob Jorolemon 2023).
The VetVan. The agency's Transportation Program page answers "What is the VetVan? Who is eligible? Where will I be picked up? How do I get VetVan service? What hours is the VetVan available? How much does it cost?" - but the FAQ answers are on pages the Internet Archive has not captured, so the terms are not readable from here; call the agency at (315) 253-1281 to book and to hear the rules.
Around the office. The Auburn VA Clinic is at 47 East Genesee Street, Auburn (315-294-7300), inside the VA Syracuse health-care system. The agency's Green Lights for Veterans hands out green light bulbs at the office ("Stop in our office ... and pick up a GREEN light bulb"), provided by the agency with support from the NYS Dwyer Program. Its Homeless Veteran Resources page lists the Syracuse Homeless Veterans Programs hotline (315-425-4400, ext. 53953 for Health Care for Homeless Veterans outreach) and the 211 Finger Lakes Lifeline, and its Veterans Resources page carries the veterans suicide hotline (988 press 1), burial-benefit routes and a note that the agency offers "metal markers with flags (and other support to Veterans), thanks to generous donations to our Veteran Support Fund". The Clerk's Return the Favor discount programme (below) is the other county benefit a DD-214 opens.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Cayuga County (New York) Veterans’ Service Agency
Gate
Rule
Cayuga County veterans, their dependants, survivors and anyone with a veteran-benefits question
Counseling, claims and rides need no rating; the agency decides nothing - it prepares and represents. No discharge condition is published.
Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.
Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.