Green Zone Initiative designed to be one-stop shop for Carson City veterans

Various Carson City organizations met Wednesday afternoon to continue discussing ideas for the creation of a veteran resource initiative.

The Green Zone Initiative has begun planning to create a comprehensive council to consolidate resources for Carson City veterans and their loved ones to provide help from things like health care questions to burial requirements. The initiative is a collaborative effort between various local organizations including Carson Health and Human Services, Nevada Department of Veteran Services and Senior Services to create a way to be able to provide vast amounts of information to veterans who may not know where to obtain such information. The committee discussed ideas such as a website that can be linked from organizations’ sites that will lead them to one place to obtain information.

“We want to get it all together to bring together ideas,” said Frank Reynolds, Vietnam Veterans of America president.

“We need to service providers and vets a way of creating a synergetic effect,” added Kevin Burns, Western Nevada College’s Veterans Center coordinator. “Vets need one place to provide services and resources of vets.”

The council aims to create a “community-centric solution that brings together local, state and national leaders who find and consolidate efforts to improve resources available to service members, veterans and their families in order to improve outcomes in the areas of education, employment and wellness during their transition from military service to life after military service,” reads their charter draft.

At the meeting, Reynolds and the other organizations also started discussion on how they can continue to expand their resources list to figure out what organizations offer certain services vital to veterans. Several Carson officials were also in attendance to give their input, including Mayor Robert Crowell, City Manager Nick Marano and Assemblyman P.K. O’Neill.

“I’m glad you are doing this,” said Crowell. “Hats off to you, it is good, and we need to be doing this.”

Reynolds said the organizations are meeting, so collaboration and communication lines start forming to provide information to larger audiences and organizations.

The committee is working to establish a finalized charter for the Carson City area Veterans Community Council to outline the groups’ goals, roles and governance. It also hopes to get membership representation from more organization at future meetings for places that can provide these vital resources.

For any organizations who may be able to provide resources — which can include mental health and substance abuse help, financial help, career help or any other service for veterans and their loved ones — attendance is recommended at the next meeting at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 2 at the Carson City Sheriff’s Office.