A new Pennsylvania state-funded veterans outreach center opened its doors last month in Lebanon County to bring walk-in services and benefits assistance directly to veterans and their families under one roof.
The Lickdale Veterans’ Outreach Center is the first of several planned regional outreach centers that reflect Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration’s approach to serving the nearly 700,000 veterans across the state, the fifth-largest veteran population in the country.
There are currently an estimated 80,000 veterans residing in Lebanon County and the surrounding counties of Dauphin, Berks, Lancaster and Schuylkill.
The outreach center held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate its opening, attended by Shapiro and Pennsylvania Adjutant General John Pippy, who is also head of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA).
“Our veterans have sacrificed for us, serving our nation to defend our freedoms, and they deserve a Commonwealth that cares for and invests in them,” Shapiro said at the ceremony. “It’s an honor to be here today to cut the ribbon on Pennsylvania’s first in-person veterans’ resource center and open new doors on this one-stop shop for the brave men and women who have served our Commonwealth and our country.
"We owe our veterans more than just our gratitude, we owe them real support and that’s why my Administration is making it easier than ever for veterans and their families to access the care, benefits and services they’ve earned.”
The Lickdale Veterans’ Outreach Center provides in-person access to accredited veteran service officers who assist with navigating and applying for military benefits. It also includes state-of-the-art conference rooms, private meeting areas and training spaces for advocacy groups and service organizations.
The outreach center, located at 40 Fisher Ave. in Jonestown, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“This is more than just a building, it’s a commitment to the men and women who have served our country,” Pippy said. “By bringing together federal, state and community partners in one space, we can help veterans address complex challenges and connect to the benefits they’ve earned through their service.”
The center also includes increased privacy, improved access to the DMVA staff and a welcoming, community-focused environment. In addition to DMVA service officers, community-based advocacy groups like CareerLink will be stationed on-site to offer additional veteran support.
With recent federal changes to veterans’ benefits — including the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act — many veterans are revisiting their eligibility and have required additional assistance, according to the Shapiro Administration. Veterans are encouraged to bring military paperwork, such as a DD-214, though staff can also help locate missing documents.
The Lickdale Veterans’ Outreach Center is the first in a planned network of DMVA outreach hubs designed to make services more accessible, convenient and veteran-centered across Pennsylvania.