They know sacrifice and the burden of battle more than most.
“Every little bit helps nowadays,” veteran Daniel Hatcher said.
“It has impacted mental health which impacted their jobs or money and then that starts a cascading effect,” Thomas Saadi, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs said.
On Friday, the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans honored Connecticut’s veterans’ commitment even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as part of its nearly three-decade-long Stand Down Event.
“I don’t have a state driver’s license so this waiver fee is going to help me out a lot,” Hatcher said.
Hatcher was also able to get an $89 voucher to put toward his initial testing at the Department of Motor Vehicles. He’s now one step closer to getting behind the wheel.
“This is just one part that we can do for them and we owe it to our veterans. A license to all of us is probably one of the most important pieces of information that you carry on you,” DMV Deputy Commissioner Tony Guerra said.
The DMV was one of several community groups providing support for hundreds of veterans at locations in Rocky Hill, Danbury, Bridgeport and Norwich.
Veterans were also able to get a free COVID-19 test and flu shot through the Community Health Center.
For veterans like Hatcher, it’s a reminder his service isn’t forgotten even amidst the COVID-19 battle.
“Benefits are going down, the cost of living is going up, it’s just life. Thank God there are places like this to get some veterans a helping hand,” Hatcher said.
