Resource portal now available for Mo. veterans

Missouri veterans now have access to a portal serving as an informational tool and service guide to help them find potential benefits and local resources, the Missouri Veterans Commission announced Monday.

The guide is a collaborative effort of the MVC and the Missouri Department of Economic Development Office of the Missouri Military Advocate.

"The Missouri Benefits and Resource Portal is a great step toward helping military members and their families learn about the assistance available to them in their own backyard," MVC executive director Paul Kirchhoff said in a news release. "We expect the site will continue to evolve and become more interactive, and we look forward to continued collaboration with the DED team in the future."

The initiative for a one-stop-shop for veteran resources began after a University of Central Missouri research project commissioned by the Office of the Missouri Military Advocate. The project resulted in a report titled "A Comprehensive Analysis of Missouri's Efforts to Improve the Quality of Life for Military Service Members and their Families," which recommended a centralized website.

The portal may be found at www.veteranbenefits.mo.gov. Updates will be made as new resources become available.

"Missouri is a great place to live for service members, military families, and veterans," said Joe Driskill, Missouri Military Advocate. "The state has a lot to offer in terms of military and veteran benefits and resources, and we want to make it easier to find this important information. We were glad to have the opportunity to work with the Missouri Veterans Commission on the web portal and look forward to promoting it throughout Missouri."

The MVC operates seven state veterans homes, five state veterans cemeteries and the Veterans Services Program.