Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency announces expanded hours and special event

The Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, located in the Health and Human Services building at 1062 State Route 38 in Owego, N.Y., provides free and confidential assistance, counseling, information, and representation to any Tioga County veteran and their family.

Upwards of 4,600 veterans reside in Tioga County, from World War II veterans to present day.    

Agency Director John Holton, Sr., and Veterans’ Service Officer Mike Middaugh shared a common sentiment, “Our sole purpose is to serve those who served us.”

Holton and Middaugh, both U.S. Navy veterans, have been working out of their Owego office since the fall of 2016, and have focused energies on developing new ways to reach out and connect with veterans and their families about agency services. Middaugh and Holton’s ongoing efforts have more than doubled the reach as compared to previous agency records; in the first seven months of 2017 alone, they have provided assistance to 612 veterans, of which 206 were new to the agency.  

A snapshot of the services that the agency provides include in-depth counseling, filing claims and making referrals, as well as help with disability and medical benefits, burial benefits, obtaining records, insurance questions, eligibility for tax exemptions, and state veterans home placement, just to name a few.  

Services are available to dependents such as a spouse/surviving spouse and children. Family members are also able to make an initial contact with the agency on behalf of a veteran.

Holton and Middaugh, a voice for veterans in what can be a complicated system, are certified to represent veterans in all transactions with the U.S. Veterans Administration. In addition, partnering with local, state and private agencies allows Holton and Middaugh to refer veterans to multiple resources.   

The Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. No appointment is necessary. In addition, the agency provides expanded “Drop-In Hours” at the following locations, scheduled monthly at the Owego V.F.W. on the second Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m.; at the Candor American Legion on the third Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m.; and at the Owego American Legion on the third Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Holton and Middaugh can also accommodate veterans who may need to schedule a meeting outside of regular business hours, or can visit veterans who are homebound. The duo will also be working to reach out to high school graduates who are entering the armed services, in an effort to connect early with those individuals.

A special event, a Veterans’ Fair, is scheduled on Sept. 19 from noon until 7 p.m. at the Candor American Legion, Arden Kelsey Post 907. Attendees at the fair, along with the Tioga County Veterans’ Service Agency, include Tioga County groups from Public Health, Mental Health, Suicide Prevention Coalition, SNAP/Family Enrichment Network, Employment Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Catholic Charities and V.F.W. Post 1371.

Also on hand will be the Binghamton Veterans’ Center, Southern Tier Veterans Support Group, Twin Tiers Honor Flight, Alzheimer’s Association of CNY, Brain Injury Association of NYS, and the Southern Tier and the Finger Lakes Red Cross/Armed Services Program.  

In addition, an initiative called Boots to Business will educate interested veterans on business ownership and entrepreneurship, and the NYS Veterans in Ag will present a project for veterans who are interested in farming. 

Guests at the event will also be able to participate with the Veterans Administration’s Mobile Unit, which is coming in from Rochester, N.Y. to assist veterans with understanding health benefits and pensions, among other questions, and will provide general screenings for dental issues and other wellness or immunizations, including flu shots. 

Middaugh, who grew up in Tioga County and has a background in public service, is a Desert Storm veteran, and shared, “We hope to organize Veterans’ Fairs at least three times a year, and it’s a great way for us to give back.”  Future fairs will be held at various sites within the county.

Holton, who served at a naval hospital in Bethesda during Vietnam, added that the agency works to connect with all Tioga Veterans who may not understand the extent of benefits they earned and could receive. 

For more information, contact the Veterans’ Service Agency at (607) 687-8228.  Contact information can also be found at tiogacountyny.com/departments/veterans.