Ulster County Exec. Pat Ryan Demands NYS Release Veteran Funds

In November of 2020, a Hudson Valley Veteran run organization shared that funds were not being distributed properly to organizations throughout New York State.

Erica Prindle, the Program Coordinator for The Hudson Valley Center for Veteran Reintegration, explained to us back in November that New York State veteran organizations were not receiving funds through the Joseph P Dwyer Project. The Dwyer Project was put in place to provide peer support to veterans in need.

A petition online, started by Prindle, stated:

Our Veterans, families and service members need your help. The Joseph P. Dwyer Project was put in place to support our veteran community by providing them with resources they need. This is a critical peer resource that has been proven to work. This program provides Veterans, family, and service members with activities that bring them together, it also saves lives, assists in crisis, and gives them a light to turn to in their darkest hours. This Grant is UTILIZED THOUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE by Many Organizations. Thousands of Veterans will lose access to this program if the funds are not released!

It looks as though county executives and elected officials around the Hudson Valley are taking notice.

In a press release from the Ulster County Government website, Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan joined in on the process "to demand that funding for the Dwyer Veterans Peer Support Project be released to veterans organizations."

The press release explained that The Hudson Valley Center for Veteran Reintegration is owed "nearly $100,000 from New York State in funds being withheld from last year and has yet to receive nearly $200,000 of allocations for 2021. "

Executive Ryan stated:

“The Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Project is a vital program that saves lives. Today I am calling on New York State to fund this program immediately because we cannot wait any longer. Even before the pandemic, we were already in the midst of an epidemic of suicide. As a veteran, this is deeply personal, and every day that we are not taking action is a day too long.

The Ulster County Executive  is a West Point grad and served 2 combat tours in Iraq as an Army intelligence officer.

For more details about The Hudson Valley Center for Veteran Reintegration and what they do to help Veterans in the Hudson Valley visit their Facebook page.