TULSA, Okla. — The Community Service Council held a ribbon cutting to officially transition to Oklahoma Veterans United on April 3.
The goal is to focus more on the Veteran community in Oklahoma.
Other organizations took over some community programs, which opened the door for this new focus on Veterans.
“As time had gone on, our veteran programs had really become focal point of the entire organization,” said Rachel Runfola, CEO of Oklahoma Veterans United.
Runfola said this change would give the organization better visibility.
“Community Service Council, while it is a great organization and it has been in the past, nobody equates Community Service Council with Veteran activities or resources and services," Runfola said. "It’s clear Oklahoma Veterans United is here to serve veterans and help them.”
OKVU serves many Oklahoma Veterans with housing, suicide prevention, and employment opportunities
“We are providing tools, resources and best practices for getting employed, taking care of their mental health and dealing with any type of housing issues they may have," said Denise Reid, board president with Oklahoma Veterans United.
Reid said that while the organization works to ensure that veterans are taken care of, Oklahoma is the right place for them to be.
“If we are doing the work, we are going to be bringing more and more Veterans to our state and keeping them here," Reid said.
OKVU concentrates efforts on rapid re-housing through Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), expanding suicide prevention and employment opportunities.
SSVF covers more than 50 counties in Oklahoma, including the panhandle and Oklahoma City area.
To learn more about Oklahoma Veterans United, visit its website here.
2 News has covered the organization before; see our previous stories here.
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