Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issued the following Friday:
Vets welcomed to join CEO and Founder at District Hall on Monday
Boston, MA (March 27, 2015) – Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) will showcase its new data visualization tool The Wait We Carry 2.0 and share the experiences of Boston veterans using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system and disability claims process at a VetTogether on Monday, March 30, at District Hall. At the event, IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff and attendees will also learn about the Massachusetts Fallen Heroes Memorial, a project that honors fallen servicemembers who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Who: IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff, and Boston-area veterans
When: Monday, March 30, 12:30-2:30 pm
Where: District Hall, 75 Northern Avenue, Boston
For more info, visit: http://bit.ly/19U40vA
Prior to the VetTogether, Rieckhoff will attend the opening gala and dedication for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for The United States Senate on Sunday and Monday. President Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at the dedication.
Two weeks ago IAVA launched The Wait We Carry 2.0 at SXSW in Austin and TED Talks in Vancouver. Created with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the cutting-edge data visualization tool offers users a candid understanding of the veteran health care experience.
“IAVA is honored to be a part of the opening gala and dedication ceremonies for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. For decades the Kennedy family has been a strong supporter of the veteran community and we are grateful to have advocates like Patrick Kennedy in our corner,” said Rieckhoff. “Boston continues to be a national leader in promoting solutions for its veterans, and we look forward to joining area veterans in honoring those who will be recognized by the Massachusetts Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Heroes Memorial. We’re excited that Executive Director Dan Magoon will be on-hand to share the vision and progress of this important memorial project with our attendees.”
More than 340,000 veterans reside in Massachusetts, including more than 32,000 who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Boston-area veterans face a number of critical challenges: more than 200,000 veterans are stuck in the VA backlog, including more than 2,500 in the Boston regional office, who are waiting more than 125 days for a claim. The average wait time in Boston is 157.9 days.