FIU to host outreach event to provide assistance for military veterans on Dec. 12


The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, located at the Veterans Tower, hopes the event raises awareness for the services and resources available for veterans.

The Office of Veteran and Military Affairs, located at the Veterans Tower, hopes the event raises awareness for the services and resources available for veterans.

By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

From homelessness prevention to banking services, FIU will be hosting a veterans outreach event at the FIU Stadium Club on Friday, Dec. 12, that aims to meet the needs of military veterans and their families in South Florida in time for the holiday season.

In total, more than 50 federal, state and local agencies will be present to provide assistance with housing, education, financial services, legal services and county services.

Organizations ranging from the Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System and the Housing and Urban Development to Walgreens and Sun Trust Bank will be at the event to provide assistance for veterans on the spot.

“We want to let veterans know these resources are out there,” says Michael Pischner, director of FIU’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs. “You might not need them today, but you might need them six months down the line.”

The event is just one in a series of outreach initiatives the FIU Office of Veteran and Military Affairs has been a part of in an effort to raise awareness of the resources and services that are available for veterans and their families.

Florida State Representative Michael Bileca, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, Commissioner Esteban Bovo and Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz helped organize the event and will also be on hand for the outreach.

Members of the FIU Alumni Association’s Veterans Alumni Chapter along with work-study students in the Veteran and Military Affairs office will be volunteering during the event, which starts at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.

The event is open for all military veterans and their families and buses will be departing from the Miami VA Medical Center and other downtown locations to bring homeless veterans to campus.

Pischner says events like these go to the heart of what FIU wants to do for those who have served in the military in South Florida – particularly those who are taking classes at FIU.

“If students have a problem, we can take care of that need,” Pischner says.

For more information on the veterans outreach event, send an email to veterans@fiu.edu or call 305-348-2838.