The American Legion Veterans Resources
Below is a list of resources provided by The American Legion for veterans and their families. However, the best way to take advantage of the resources of The American Legion is to join our organization and stand shoulder to shoulder with other veterans in our common cause. For a listing of VA Resources click here . To get a 'quick listing' of phone numbers and website addresses click here .
Veterans Emergency Financial Assistance Program (VEFAP)
For questions pertaining to the Veterans Financial Emergency Assistance Program, please contact Maine Bureau of Veterans Services at 207-287-7019 or Veterans Forward at 207-835-8910 Ext. 0 | 844-653-0316 or Email
Veterans Forward/FEDCAP
Veterans Forward (VEFAP) Application
Maine State Veteran's Benefits Directory
This directory may include grants and scholarships, special exemptions or discounts on fees and taxes, home loans, veteran's homes, free hunting and fishing privileges, veteran's license plates, Maine veterans memorial cemeteries, and more.
Maine Veterans' Benefits Resource Guide 2024
PACT Act Social Media Advertisement Nov 2022
The Disabled Soldier Support System
(DS3)
1-800-833-6622
www.armyds3.org
Advocacy, personal support and follow-up are provided by The American Legion for severely disabled Army personnel transitioning out of DoD and into VA.
VA Disability Compensation
207-623-5726
Contact the Department's Service Officer
The American Legion has representatives throughout the country available to assist veterans who have suffered or aggravated a disease or injury during military service. The Department of Maine's
Service Officer
can help with the filing of disability claims and benefits paperwork.
Family Support Network
1-800-504-4098 -
Email the National Program
-
Contact the Department of Maine
The Family Support Network connects the families of deployed servicemembers with the world's largest veterans organization: The American Legion. Legionnaires stand ready, willing and able to provide a broad range of services to help families cope with the unique challenges of deployment. Whatever the need, Legionnaires can help or can put you in touch with the right people to handle those problems.
Temporary Financial Assistance
Contact Department Headquarters
Families of deployed servicemembers who have minor children at home can apply for cash grants through The American Legion's Temporary Financial Assistance Program. To learn more about TFA click on the link below for a copy of the TFA Brochure. TFA Applications are available through
Department Headquarters
.
Temporary Financial Assistance Brochure
The Reconnect Program
P. O. Box 1055 - Indianapolis, IN 46206
Hotline: 1-800-504-4098 or
contact us
As part of an agreement with the Department of Defense, the Legion's Reconnect Program is built on strengthening the bond between veterans of past wars and those serving our nation today. The relationship can, and does, take many forms. At home, the Reconnect program also makes today's servicemembers and their families aware of the many Legion programs designed to help them and their communities, now and in the future. For more information
contact us
, write to the address above or call the national hotline at 1-800-504-4098.
Welcome Home Services
The American Legion Service Office
P.O. Box 3411 - Augusta, Maine 04330
Tele: (207) 623-5726 FAX: (207) 621-4821
Information about Legion Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation programs can be obtained by contacting the
Department of Maine Service Office
or through
The American Legion
National Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission
1608 K St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
1-202-861-2700
Financial Guide for Maine Veterans
The National Resource Directory
www.nrd.gov
- a website that provides access to services and resources at the national, state, and local levels, unveiled an updated design and layout this week. The updates were implemented to make the site more user-friendly for the thousands of service members, veterans, and family members who use the Directory each month.
The National Resource Directory has been an invaluable collection of resources for our service members, veterans, and their families, said James Rodriguez, deputy assistant secretary of defense, Office of Warrior Care Policy. "Improving the site and expanding its capabilities was an easy decision."
Enhancements to the Directory include a refreshed appearance, updated search engine, and behind-the-scenes software updates that will improve the speed and accuracy of managing the programs and services listed. Also included in the redesign is the addition of widgetsÂ, a stand-alone application that organizations can use to enable access to Directory functions through their own websites.
"The National Resource Directory is a great place for everyone to find vetted and organized resources, but it can be particularly helpful for those professionals and other organizations helping to coordinate care for our wounded, ill, and injured service members," said Rodriguez. "For our Recovery Care Coordinators, those men and women who are working each day to support wounded, ill, and injured service members, the updates to the National Resource Directory will allow them to find and connect service members with appropriate resources more efficiently."
The Directory continues to be one of the largest online collections of government and non-government resources specifically designed for service members, their families, military caregivers, and veterans. With a unique collection of more than 18,000 organized and vetted resources, the Directory provides information covering a variety of topics, including benefits and compensation, education and training, family and military caregiver support, health, homeless assistance, housing, and other services and programs.
"The Directory's participation policy uses crowdsourced data points from watchdog organizations in addition to government data sources to ensure the quality of resources on the site."
Military Discharge Requests
If you are a veteran whose home of record at the time of entry into the service was the State of Maine then a copy of your DD-214 (or equivalent) may be on file at the Bureau of Veteran's Services.
Please click on the Application Request for Military Discharge link below if you are requesting a discharge from the State of Maine and mail the application to the Bureau of Veteran's Services for processing. For more information, please visit
www.maine.gov/dvem/bvs/military_discharges.htm
Application Request for Military Discharge
or
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access to their DD-214s online:
http://vetrecs.archives.gov
This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files.
Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.
Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard form 180, which can be downloaded from the online website. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom and processing time.
Please pass this information on to former military personnel you may know and their dependents.
HEROES TO HOMETOWNS
As the war on terrorism continues, more young American military men and women are coming home bearing the scars of battle. Many continue to recover physically and emotionally from severe injuries including loss of limbs, mobility, and psychological trauma.
The American Legion and the Department of Defense have teamed up to provide these outstanding and dedicated Americans all the help they need to re-establish their lives when they come home.
It is a pillar of The American Legion- "to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness".
If your post has agreed to participate in the Heroes to Hometown program because a comrade is coming home to your community,
download this guide
and visit the National
Heroes2Hometowns website
. These resources will provide you with information you need to ensure that the servicemember and their family will get full assistance for a successful transition back to civilian life.
Heroes to Hometowns can provide:
- A Welcome Home celebration
- Temporary Financial Assistance
- Pro-Bono Financial Planning
- Housing Assistance
- Home and Vehicle Adaptation
- Government Claims Assistance
- Transportation to hospital visits
- Entertainment options
- Childcare
- Counseling
- Family Support
If you are not severely injured and are in need of general transition assistance or support, you can contact your American Legion Department Service Officer (DSO) or your local American Legion post.
