Western Massachusetts
In 2022, there were an estimated 36,589 veterans living in Western Mass, including 3,257 women. This page includes local events and directories of veterans’ services; veteran outreach centers; VA healthcare facilities; VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys; elder services; community resources; posts & auxiliaries; and veteran owned businesses, as well as census, veteran homelessness, and public health data for the Western Region.
Tag any events you submit with #western-mass so they show up here. Some cities and towns are also in the #berkshires. Use the listing below to search for events by city or town. As long as you include the name of the city or town in an event, it will show up in the relevant local event listings below.
County and Area pages for Western Massachusetts are in progress.
Executive Office of Veterans’ Services
The mission of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) is to act as the primary advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealth’s veterans. The Office provides outreach and support through various programs. EOVS offers assistance to eligible veterans and their surviving spouses through the MassVets Financial Benefits Program.
Veterans may use the Mass Vet Benefit Calculator to see what they may qualify for and contact their local veterans’ services office below to apply.
-
MGL Chapter 115 requires each town/city have a veterans’ agent to administer these benefits, but two or more contiguous towns can also appoint someone to serve as veterans’ agent and form Veterans’ Services Districts. Most cities and towns in Western Mass share a veterans’ agent or are served by a Veterans’ Services District listed below.
Veteran Outreach Centers in Western Mass
The Berkshire Veterans Outreach Center in Pittsfield is committed to helping veterans and their families in the Berkshires any way they can. They know the challenges that can come with paperwork and red tape and will help with anything from VA disability and pension claims to VA healthcare applications and Veteran ID cards. Call (413) 448-6052 or email the BVOC directly.
The Bilingual Veterans Outreach Center of Massachusetts is located in Springfield and is open to all veterans. For more information or assistance, call (413) 731-0194.
VA Healthcare in Western Mass
Western Region veterans are served by the VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System with a hospital, three clinics, and the Springfield Vet Center in Western Mass. Anyone who has served in the military is encouraged to apply to determine their eligibility and Priority Group. Some veterans are exempt from co-pays due to their VA rating, income, or special eligibility factors.
The VA’s Access to Care website includes a directory of primary licensed independent practice providers who may be lead, ongoing members of the healthcare system’s treatment teams (physicians, PAs, NPs, psychologists, dentists, nurse specialists, RN anesthetists, chiropractors, optometrists, and podiatrists) at VA Central Western Mass. It also includes wait times for new patients.
-
The directory below includes VA-accredited representatives, agents, and attorneys based in Berkshires area cities and towns from the VA Office of the General Counsel’s Accreditation Search Tool as of July 2024. The VA provides accreditation to ensure VA claimants receive qualified assistance preparing and presenting their claims in accordance with VA Standards of Conduct.
-
Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) are private, non-profit agencies established under MGL Chapter 19A to provide direct and protective services, including information and referrals; interdisciplinary case management; intake and assessment; developing, implementing, and monitoring service plans; reassessing needs; and investigating reports of elder abuse and neglect.
-
Councils on Aging (COAs) are municipal agencies that provide local outreach, social and health services, advocacy, information and referral for older adults, their families, and caregivers. COAs and Senior Centers serve as advocates and links to support services for elders, families, and caregivers. They offer outreach, transportation, meals, health screenings, health insurance counseling, and life-long learning, social, fitness, wellness, and recreation activities.
MassOptions is a service of the Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) that can also help older adults, people with disabilities, and family members or caregivers identify aging and disability services and connect to those that can meet their needs. Call 800-243-4636 or click here to complete a referral.
Western Mass Community Resource Network
-
The Veterans Posts and Auxiliaries directory includes information about the VFW and American Legion Posts, Marine Corps League Detachments, and DAV Chapters based in cities and towns in Western Massachusetts.
-
This Veteran Owned Businesses directory is based on publicly available information and listings of veteran owned businesses in Western Mass. Click here to submit a business or update information.
Veterans in Western Mass
Census Reporter – 2022 American Community Survey
Based on 2022 ACS 5-year estimates, there are around 36,589 veterans living in Western Mass, including 3,257 women veterans. If you serve veterans and are trying to learn more about their demographics, explore the most recent estimates Census Reporter for cities and towns in Western Mass linked below.
-
Age by sex and veteran status, service era, service-connected disability, veteran status by educational attainment, age by veteran status and employment, median income by sex and veteran status, and sex by age by employment status with armed forces are available at the county and city and town level with 5-year estimates (most reliable).
Age by gender and veteran status with racial iterations is available at the county and city and town level with 5-year estimates: White alone, Black or African American alone, American Indian or Alaskan Native alone, Asian alone, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander alone, some other race alone, two or more races, White alone and not Hispanic or Latino, and Hispanic or Latino.
Age by disability by veteran and poverty status is available at the county level with 1-year estimates (most current).
-
Annual business survey
In October 2023, the US Census Bureau released the most recent 2022 data from the Annual Business Survey, which includes information at the state level on veteran-owned businesses within:
Company Summaries and Characteristics of Businesses tables by industry, sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status and Characteristics of Business Owners tables by Service-Disabled and Other Veteran Characteristics
Module Business Characteristics tables by industry, sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status, including Effect of Coronavirus on Business Sales, Level of Operations During Coronavirus Pandemic, Level of Operations During Coronavirus Pandemic, and Outstanding Debt
Veteran Homelessness in Western Mass
HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness. The Massachusetts CoC includes 12 regional CoCs, including the Three County CoC (covering Berkshire, Franklin, and Hampshire Counties) and the Springfield-Hampden County CoC covering Western Mass.
During the last week of January, CoC’s count all of the homeless people reported by service providers and counted by local police and volunteer groups on the streets. In 2023, veterans made up around 3.4% of the overall homeless population in Massachusetts, an increase from 2.2% in 2022.
From 2022 to 2023, the number of homeless veterans increased from 534 to 545, including 70 women, who made up 12.8% of homeless veterans counted. The number of homeless veterans increased by less than 3% overall, with a 23% increase for women veterans.
The CoCs in Western Massachusetts account for around 23% of homeless veterans and 11.4% of homeless women veterans in the state. From 2022 to 2023:
The number of homeless veterans counted increased more than 40% from 104 to 127 veterans, including 7 unsheltered, 40 in emergency shelter, and 80 in transitional housing.
The number of homeless women veterans counted decreased over 27% from 11 to 8 veterans, including 6 in transitional housing and 2 in emergency shelter.
Housing Advisory Council
Established through Executive Orders filed in conjunction with the Affordable Homes Act, the Housing Advisory Council and Commission on Unlocking Housing Production is bringing together a broad range of stakeholders from across Massachusetts to advise the Healey-Driscoll administration on strategies to address the state’s housing challenges. Regional listening sessions were held between April–June 2024. If you missed them, you can still provide feedback.
Western Mass Public Health Data
The U.S. Center for Disease Control’s Suicide Prevention Strategies for Communities support the implementation of a public health approach that uses data to drive decision-making. Massachusetts does not publish comprehensive data surrounding the deaths of service members and veterans. The chart below includes data for deaths in Hampden, Berkshire, Hampshire, and Franklin County.