It was a wonderful event. Mr. Phillip Moschitta, the Director of the Northport VA said the opening remarks. Frank Amalfitano, Ed Olsen, BHNVR Program Director and Greg Curran, Social Work Service Section Chief & Homeless Veterans Program Manager at the VA also addressed the attendees.We are thrilled to report that there were elected officials in attendance including Senator Flannigan, Suffolk County Comptroller John Kennedy and his wife Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy. There were several aides in attendance representing those officials who could not be there. Carol Rocco, Coordinator of Veterans Affairs for the Town of Huntington and Tom Roynane , Director of the Suffolk County Veterans Service Agency were also in attendance.
Our community partners and corporate sponsors took the time to celebrate with us as well. We spent time with Theresa Regnante, UWLI CEO; Ralph Fasano, Executive Director of Concern for Independent Living and Greta Guarton, Executive Director of the LI Coalition for the Homeless. Andrew Cameron, Senior Relationship Manager at Astoria Bank; Vincent Cunningham, Regional Manager at Northwell Health and Laura Rittenberg the President of Coldwell Banker Residential LI/Queens were all there in support of our mission. There were veterans, UVBH board members, volunteers and both VA & UVBH staff on site. In total we had approximately 85 people in attendance. There were refreshments served and tours of the building after the ceremony. The event was a tremendous success.
On May 18, 2016 Nassau County Executive, Ed Mangano announced $1.2 million in Federal funds have been awarded from the Nassau County Office of Housing and Community Development to United Veterans Beacon House of Hempstead for rehabilitation of five two-bedroom townhouse units and a single family home in Hempstead– all of which will be occupied by formerly homeless veterans and their families.