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Veterans Outreach Fair to offer health, legal services March 30

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Nursing and Penn State Law will co-sponsor a Veterans Outreach Fair from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the law school’s Lewis Katz Building on the University Park campus.

The fair is being offered as a way to thank veterans and their families for their sacrifice and commitment to serving their country.

Students, faculty and community partners will offer a variety of services, including health screenings and education and legal consultation — all free of charge — to veterans of the U.S. armed forces across Pennsylvania, including members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and Penn State employee veterans. The Katz Building parking lot is open to visitors on weekends. 

“Veterans and their families have done so much for us. We are grateful for this opportunity to show them our appreciation for their service,” said Michele Vollmer, director of Penn State Law's Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic. “The law school’s participation in Penn State’s Outreach Fair not only provides a valuable service to veterans and their families, but is also a great opportunity for our students to interact with clients.”

Penn State Law will offer free consultations on general civil legal issues, including: 

  • Driver's license suspensions or fines.
  • Small claims court issues.
  • Personal property issues.
  • Consumer issues.
  • Child support debts or back payments.
  • Clean slate law and expungement information.

Participants may schedule a 30-minute appointment with law students supervised by professional volunteers. The law school’s Veterans Clinic students also will be able to answer questions about Veterans Affairs disability appeals. The clinic specializes in handling complex appeals and helping veterans obtain needed medical evidence. Since its inception in 2015, the clinic has won more than $1.5 million in benefits for its clients.

Students in the Community and Family Health Nursing course will conduct health screenings, including vital signs, pulse oximetry, and depression screening. They also will provide information on a variety of health topics, including:

  • Drug and alcohol abuse/Narcan use.
  • Smoking cessation.
  • Sun safety/mole screening.
  • Lyme disease prevention and detection.
  • Nutrition and exercise.
  • Stroke awareness.
  • Domestic violence.

College of Nursing faculty and students will provide consultations about prescription and nonprescription medications. Participants are encouraged to bring their medications with them, along with any questions they may have.

“Service is a core part of our mission at the College of Nursing,” said Kelly Wolgast, assistant dean for online education and outreach at the College of Nursing. “We believe extending outreach services related to health and wellness will benefit the veteran population in central Pennsylvania. Our collaboration with Penn State Law students and faculty will make this outreach stronger.”

Veterans can register for the fair at https://pennstatelaw.psu.edu/vetoutreach2019.

The Veterans and Servicemembers’ Legal Clinic trains Penn State Law students to provide legal representation to veterans and current service members in specialized and complex areas of statutory and regulatory law, and to advocate on behalf of veterans and those serving in the military on policy matters at both the state and federal levels. For more information on the Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic, visit its website or email veteransclinic@pennstatelaw.psu.edu.

The Penn State College of Nursing offers integrated programs of nursing education, research, scholarship and outreach to achieve its mission of improving the health of all people in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world. For more information on the college and the programs it offers, visit its website.

Last Updated March 20, 2019

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