Veterans Agent Newsletter
Please see the attached link for this month's newsletter for upcoming events that may be of interest to our Veteran Community.
Veterans Agent
The Veterans Agent is under the direction of the Office of the Commissioner of Veterans Services of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is governed by Chapter 115 of the Massachusetts General Laws. The Veterans Agent serves as the local contact for all veterans benefit programs including the Federal Veterans Administration (VA). Veterans and their dependents should feel free to contact this office with any questions.
Monthly Veteran's Coffee Hour - 3rd Wednesday Each Month!!! Next Event: March 18, 2026
CALLING ALL VETERANS -- Please join us for the MONTHLY Veteran's Coffee Hour, every 3rd WEDNESDAY of each Month at 10:30 a.m. at the Barre/Hardwick Senior Center. If you'd like to join us for lunch at 11:30 a.m., please call 978-355-5027 to reserve your meal. Thank you and see you there!
VALOR Act Parking -- Veteran's Parking -- Henry J. Woods Building
There has been designated parking for our town’s Veterans in the front of the 40 West Street (Henry J. Woods Building) to the right of the entry point to the building. In Massachusetts, the VALOR Act (Veterans' Access to Licensure, Opportunity, and Resources) allows towns to create designated parking spots for veterans at town halls, marked with signs saying "Veteran Parking Only”—this space is reserved for those who have served.
VA Office of Rural Engagement Newsletter
GI Bill® Education Benefits 2025-2026
The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education in Veterans Education are the State Approving Agency for GI Bill® Education Benefits and approve programs at: Institutions of Higher Education, Non-College Degree Schools, Flight schools, correspondence schools as well as approve licensing and certification exams and apprenticeship/on-the-job training programs for veterans and other qualified individuals. Please see the attached fliers for more information regarding Veteran's Education Benefits.
New Veterans Education Trifold
Tech Foundry IT Training Courses
Tech Foundry offers a variety of free IT training that is open to the public. The hub course provides general computer skills for those with little to no tech experience. While the Launch course is an 18-week program that matches you with an employer at the end, earns you a Google IT Support Professional Certificate and provides college credit (15 credits at UMASS Amherst and 7 credits at Holyoke Community College, STCC- currently in approval works). Applications for the Launch course will be open until mid-January, with the program starting February 9th. Cohorts are usually 20-25x candidates, 5 days a week (3 remote), with 5 hours of course instruction. Please see attached flyers for details.