New office for veteran services opens in Miami Lakes

Business By David Snelling, Reporter Thursday, March 19, 2020

Veterans in northwest Miami-Dade County and southwest Broward County can save trips to Hialeah or downtown Miami to get guidance about benefits.
A satellite office was opened March 2 at Miami Lakes town hall.
The office, at 6601 Main St., will be open the first and third Mondays of each month, from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Pedro P. Fiallo, 75, a veteran and member of the Miami Lakes Veterans Committee, said the new office will be more convenient for those who have served the nation as well as for their loved ones.
“I have to drive all the way to the [Miami] VA Hospital for help,” Fiallio said. “Now we have a satellite office in town. It can help a lot of veterans in the area.”
Nayib Hassan chairs the town’s Veterans Committee. He said the support of Mayor Manny Cid and the town council made the new office possible.
An estimated 25,000 veterans live in the area, said Shane Suzuki, communications director for the Miami VA Healthcare System.
“Having someone in the community to help veterans is a huge advantage for them,” Suzuki said. “Not everybody needs it, but it’s there for veterans who need it.”
The satellite office will offer guidance about how to apply for benefits; claims and appeals; where to get health screenings; education; home loans; housing and counseling. There is no cost.
To make an appointment call Kenneth Peters at
305-512-7136.
Veterans in crisis may call 800-273-8255 or go to VeteransCrisisLine.net.