VetsNet, a nonprofit organization based in Wisconsin, is helping veterans and veteran families by connecting them with the best resources to meet their needs. Though there are over 500 veteran help groups in Wisconsin, it can be time consuming and difficult to identify exactly which organization is the best fit when a veteran or family member seeks assistance. Stepping in to help them, the Wisconsin Veterans Network finds the best fit for each veteran to assist them with their needs.
Since 2016, VetsNet has been connecting veterans with the programs and services they need to help them. According to their website, VetsNet, which is staffed by veterans, helps veterans in numerous areas including emergency relief, rehousing, benefits counseling, financial counseling, substance abuse assistance, mental health care, legal assistance, relationship counseling, employment counseling, job training and placement. Navigating the myriad of resources available to veterans, VetsNet helps guide them through the process of finding which organization to use that will best meet their needs.
A Navy veteran who is a single mom of four recently shared her experience receiving assistance from VetsNet with Spectrum News 1. Kristen Bauman, who recently retired from the Navy, shared that overnight she was in the situation of worrying about how she would keep her family afloat financially. When her refrigerator stopped working, she had no way of repairing or replacing it, but when she reached out to VetsNet, they helped get her a new refrigerator.
Part of what makes VetsNet unique is that they serve all veterans regardless of status in the state of Wisconsin. The executive director of VetsNet, Quentin Hatfield, shared with Spectrum News 1 that “this has been probably the most gratifying work I have ever done,” adding that “when we close the door every day, we know we have stepped into manful situations and made meaningful differences in the lives of American warriors.”