HOLYOKE — A coalition formed in the wake of the devastating COVID-19 outbreak at the Soldiers’ Home to push for construction of a new veterans’ home in Holyoke has reorganized and expanded its goals to advocate for a variety of veterans issues at the state legislative level.
The goal of the new organization, known as the Veterans Advocacy Coalition, is to “champion the interest of military veterans and their family members,” as well as to “coalesce the veteran community in our region where there are issues that require attention or public dialogue,” according to a recent press release.
“Our goal is to be ready to respond to any type of issue and to be available for elected leaders, the news media, and other stakeholders when seeking advice and counsel pertaining to something relevant to our veteran community interests,” the release states.
Following the COVID-19 outbreak early on in the pandemic at Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, which claimed the lives of more than 70 residents at the facility, members of the military community in western Massachusetts as well as relatives formed the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Coalition to push the state Legislature into improving the facility. Their efforts culminated in the passage of a $400 million spending bill for a new building, replacing the current 70-year-old one. The coalition also successfully called for an adult day health care program as well as improvements in infection control practices, staffing, and on governance and oversight reforms.
John Paradis, a former deputy superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home and a leading member of the coalition, said the organization would continue to advocate for the Soldiers’ Home, but would also expand its focus to all issues veterans face in gaining health care access, such as ensuring proper staffing and increasing outreach to women veterans.
“I think the beauty of our organization is we have the ability to get information out to a large population of folks across the state,” Paradis said. “I would say one of our top interests is to include equity with how services and benefits are provided [to veterans] at the municipal level.”
The coalition consists of more than 25 members, many of whom are either family members of veterans’ home residents or members of other military organizations in western Massachusetts. In addition to Paradis, other members include former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home superintendent Paul Barabani, Central Hampshire Veterans’ Service Director Steve Connor, and State Commander for the Military Order of the Purple Heart Brian Willette.
“There has not been any type of organized [state] legislative group that responds to the challenges we face today,” said Willette, who lives in South Hadley. “Speaking of organizations like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars, they’re very organized in their legislative responses on Capitol Hill, but you do not have an organized legislative response for what happens in Massachusetts.”
In addition to the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home, the organization will advocate for veterans at the state’s other veterans’ home, located in Chelsea.
Some of the other issues the new coalition hopes to address in the coming year include improving state laws that impede the ability for veterans to receive property tax exemptions, and providing greater transparency with state information pertaining to veterans from the state Department of Veterans’ Services.
