Compiled by: Alex Smiley

Local and State Resources

Jefferson County Veterans Services
860 SW Madison St.
 Madras, OR 97741
541-475-5228

Laura Moore - CVSO | laura.moore@co.jefferson.or.us
Kevin Ellingsburg - CVSO | kevin.ellingsburg@co.jefferson.or.us

Warm Springs Veteran Services
Warm Springs Behavioral Health Center
1115 Wasco Street
Warms Springs, OR 97761
541-553-3205

Warm Springs Tribal Veterans Representative: Frankie Williams 
email: Frankie.williams@wstribes.org
559-798-7192

Cascade East Transit Veteran’s Healthcare Transportation Service - provides transportation to healthcare services for veterans living in Central Oregon at NO COST to all eligible veterans. Before your first ride, call CET at least 2-3 days in advance to ensure all of the relevant eligibility information is in the system.
 (541) 385-8680, Monday – Friday from 7 am – 4 pm

Central Oregon Vet Center
1645 NE Forbes Rd. Suite 105
Bend, OR 97701
541-749-2112

Central Oregon Veterans Outreach - COVO works tirelessly to support Veterans and others in need in the Central Oregon area.
61510 S HWY 97 STE 100
Bend, OR 97702
541-383-2793
covo@covo-us.org

Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs - An agency of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for programs and benefits for citizens of the state who are veterans of the U.S. armed services, their dependents, and survivors.
700 Summer St NE
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 373-2085

Central Oregon Veterans Ranch - A working Ranch that restores purpose and spirit to veterans of all ages.
65920 SW 61st St,
Bend, OR 97703
(541) 706-9062

Library Resources

Books on Veterans Services

Books on Military Veterans

 BrainFuse's VetNow - assists veterans and their families prepare for college through a full suite of academic tools. Live online tutoring in a variety of college-level subjects is available, along with holistic writing support, extensive video lessons, comprehensive practice tests

Web Sites

General Resources

U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs - The official site for veterans of the U.S. military.

Veterans Service Records - Provided through the U.S. National Archives, this site provides a wide array of information for those doing research, including casualty records from different wars, such as the Civil War era, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Conflict. Also: Military Award and Decoration Replacement and Military Record Replacement

Committee on Veterans Affairs - Senate committee responsible for veteran affairs.

House Committee on Veterans Affairs - This House of Representatives' committee "reviews veterans' programs, examines current laws, and reports bills and amendments to strengthen existing laws concerning veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), such as health care, disability compensation, [and] GI Bill education and job training..."

Make the Connection - an online resource designed to connect Veterans, their family members and friends, and other supporters with information, resources, and solutions to issues affecting their lives.

Military OneSource - A comprehensive portal for military benefits and assistance programs. Includes 24/7 access to (non-medical) counseling via phone and online. Also includes specialized portals for "National Guard and Reserve" and "Military Families".

Stars and Stripes - "Stars and Stripes exists to provide independent news and information to the U.S. military community, comprised of active-duty, DoD civilians, contractors, and their families. Unique among the many Department of Defense authorized news outlets, only Stars and Stripes is guaranteed First Amendment privileges that are subject to Congressional oversight."

Health Resources

Bend VA Clinic
2650 Northeast Courtney Drive
Bend, OR 97701-7639
541-647-5200

Veterans Health Administration - The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.

The Veterans Health Library (VHL) a comprehensive online health resource provided to assist Veterans, their families, and caregivers understand and maintain their best health no matter where they receive care.

My HealthE Vet - My HealtheVet is the VA's Personal Health Record. It is designed for Veterans, Servicemembers, their caregivers, and others. 

Community Care - VA provides care to Veterans through community providers when VA cannot provide the care needed. Community care is based on specific eligibility requirements, availability of VA care, and individual veterans' needs and circumstances.

Veteran Crisis Line - The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource available to any Veteran, even if they are not enrolled in VA health care or registered with VA. Care does not end when the conversation is over. The Veterans Crisis Line can connect Veterans to their local suicide prevention coordinators (SPC), who follow up to coordinate care.

Military Helpline - Anonymous, free help for veterans, members of the military, and their families. Includes links to resources, online chat help, and a 24/7 telephone hotline.

Disability / Benefits / Insurance

E-Benefits - A Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.

Ask VA (AVA) - an online service that all Veterans and members of the Veteran community can use to submit questions, concerns, and recommendations to VA.  AVA replaced the Information Routing & Inquiry Service (IRIS) and the GI Bill Help Portal.

National Resource Directory - A resource website that connects wounded warriors, Service Members, Veterans, their families, and caregivers to programs and services that support them. 

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) - Veterans advocacy and assistance group provides free assistance to veterans, their families, their widowed spouses, and their orphans in obtaining benefits and services earned through their military service.

Resources for Disabled Veterans from The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled is a reference guide designed to assist disabled veterans, as well as their families or other caregivers. This lengthy web page contains a list of resources, including both federal and private options for employment and rehabilitation, financial, housing, legal, physical and psychological health, quality of life, service-dogs, and resources for veterans who are blind or visually impaired.

Guide to Veterans Affairs benefits and loans - a guide that Credit Karma created, with information on the options available for housing and homebuying assistance, disability benefits and programs, and education, training, and employment benefits.

Support Organizations

Wounded Warrior Project - The WWP mission is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors who incurred a physical or mental injury, illnesses, or wound, co-incident to your military service on or after September 11, 2001. You may also be eligible for the program if you are the family member or caregiver of a Wounded Warrior.

National Association of State Veterans Homes - Provides help with benefits, services, and long-term health care.

Veterans Matter - Nonprofit for homeless Veterans.

National Native American Veterans Association - Formed to provide the Native American Veteran representation and assistance in dealing with the Department of Veteran Affairs.

National Veterans Foundation - helps Veterans and their families who are enduring a crisis or who have a critical need for help.

American Ex-Prisoners of War - A not-for-profit, Congressionally-chartered veterans’ service organization advocating for former prisoners of war and their families.

The American Legion - a patriotic veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness.

American Veterans Center - The American Veterans Center and the World War II Veterans Committee's mission is to preserve and promote the legacy and experiences of America's veterans and active duty service personnel from World War II through today.

American Women Veterans -  American Women Veterans is dedicated to serving, honoring, and empowering military women, veterans, and their families.

AMVETS – a Congressionally-chartered veterans service organization, representing the interests of 20 million veterans. AMVETS is open to and fighting for all who honorably served in the United States military, including the Reserve and Guard.

Disabled American Veterans - DAV is a nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year. 

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America - IAVA’s mission is to connect, unite, and empower post-9/11 veterans.

Still Serving Veterans – Still Serving Veterans serve and honor Veterans and their families by empowering them to build meaningful lives through connections to fulfilling careers, benefits, and services; and to proactively strengthen Veteran communities through leadership and collaboration.

Veterans of Foreign Wars - Going back to 1899, this is an advocacy group who has given its voice to "establishing the Veterans Administration, creating a GI bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system and the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome," and "the passing of a GI Bill for the 21st Century."

Employment Resources

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) - Through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) - prepare America's veterans, service members, and spouses for meaningful careers, provide them with employment resources and expertise, protect their employment rights, and promote their employment opportunities.

Feds Hire Vets - This site provides "federal employment information for Veterans, transitioning military service members, their families, and Federal hiring officials."

Military.com - Find Veteran-Friendly Jobs. Includes upcoming job fairs, a military skills translator, lists of military-friendly companies, and job hunting advice.

USA Jobs - connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the United States and around the world.

VA for Vets – a gateway to VA careers.

Veterans Employment Center: The U.S. Department of Labor provides a Veterans Employment Center to connect veterans and their families with potential employers. This resource helps military personnel transition into civilian careers.

Education Resources

G.I. Bill - Through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

GI Bill Comparison Tool - The site provides access to datasets that allow veterans to compare the price and student outcomes of more than 10,000 VA-approved education and training programs.

Google SVA Annual Scholarship - A scholarship that provides assistance to student veterans who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science in the U.S.

military.com/education - Sources of money for school for veterans and dependents.

Scholarships from Military Sources -  a list of available college funding sources.

College Guide for Veterans & Active Service Members - Study.com's guide to picking a VA-approved school, scholarships, credit for service experience, and community support.  Their Guide to Financial Aid and Scholarships for Veterans provides a discussion of the different types of educational aid available to veterans. The site also includes information about finding and accessing benefits such as those included in the GI Bill. In addition, the guide provides a list of national and regional scholarships for veterans, their children, and their spouses.

College Scholarships & Resources for Military Veterans - Military veterans have a number of college resources available to them already: the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, Tuition Top Up. These can make a huge difference when it comes to paying for higher education. That said, they may not cover everything. Books, fees, living expenses, and other costs may require additional financial aid from multiple sources. The following guide provides current and future student veterans with a starting point: academic, social, and financial resources, including scholarships and grants.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) - Through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Remember

Witness to War - Oral histories from combat veterans.

VetFriends - Reunite with military friends and family members.

Veterans History Project - This site provides "personal accounts of American war veterans so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand the realities of war" that have been collected, preserved, and made accessible by the American Folklife Center.

Veterans' Voices Writing Project - The Veterans' Voices Writing Project (VVWP) serves as rehabilitation for veterans through the practice of therapeutic writing. These writings are then published in the Veterans' Voices magazine three times per year.

Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries - To search for cemeteries by state, either click the state you wish to view on the map or select from the list further down the page. To search for a specific grave, try using the Nationwide Grave Locator. For a list of state veterans' cemeteries, see the National Cemeteries Listing.

Last Updated: August 2023