‘We need to do more for our veterans’

On Tuesday, Sept. 19, guests attending the At Your Service dinner in support of veterans housing will be able to enjoy an extraordinary meal created by Culinary Institute of America graduate and Chef/Proprietor of The Landmark Inn, Michael Di Martino.

Ticketholders will feast on a menu that will consist of carved roast beef, with a choice of bordelaise or horseradish sauce, accompanied with roasted potatoes, sautéed broccoli spears and sliced homemade bread. (The vegan option will include cauliflower steaks).

And they will have the option of being served a signature cocktail, too, named the “Rumshock” made with dark rum, ginger liqueur, lime juice and prosecco.

Dessert will consist of assorted cookies and meat-themed candy. Coffee, tea, and soft drinks will be served throughout the evening.

Instead of being served by the house staff, however, diners will be greeted and served by a team of elected officials from local, county, and state government.

‘We need to do for our veterans’

Last year, Assemblyman, Karl Brabanec, like other officials present, was in charge of providing fresh ground pepper to guests and bussing tables. Manny Tirado, a guest last year and this year, has more than 35 years of public administration work experience with several New York State and New York City government agencies. He welcomed Brabanec’s involvement and that of Town of Warwick Supervisor candidate Jesse Dwyer.

“We need to do more for our veterans,” Tirado said. “The rate of suicide among veterans is 1.4 times higher among male veterans and 1.8 times higher among female veterans. In fact we lose more veterans to suicide than we do to combat. And a key component in suicide prevention is recognizing the need to stabilize a veteran’s life after deployment,” he added.

Tirado is the founder and chairperson of the NYC Transit Veterans Resource Group (the official MTA employee affinity group for Veterans). Since 2018, the Transit Veterans Resource group has helped promote veterans benefits outreach, career development, and mental health awareness programs among its veteran employees.

First veterans housing community

Rumshock Veterans Foundation programs includes a recently acquired property in Port Jervis that will serve as one of Orange County’s first veterans housing communities that will include the following ingredients:

Ten tiny homes

Employment via electronic recycling and containerized farming.

Mental health services.

Transportation.

Canine companionship.

Safety and security.

Mission

Rumshock works with the Hudson Valley Task Force whose mission is to address the needs of those who served by having relevant agencies meet collectively, regularly and cooperatively, to ensure the timely administration of services and referrals in order to achieve an end to veteran homelessness and meet their immediate and long term needs.

To purchase a ticket and lto earn more about what Rumshock Veterans Foundation is planning on doing for veterans in Orange County, click on https://rumshockvf.org or call Peter Lyons Hall at 845-258-0272.