It is a real honor to recognize service Veterans for their service.
It is another thing to do something for them in a time of need.
The Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office aims to do just that.
The first meeting of VICTOR (Veterans Initiating Change through an Organized Response) was held last week. The seven-member board, made up exclusively of Veterans, was put together to help provide support and assistance to veterans and their family members in the community.
The inaugural VICTOR meeting was held the day after National Vietnam War Veterans Day.
The initiative is part of Sheriff Marcos Lopez office’s Community Outreach and Mental Health Division. Lopez himself spent 22 years in the Navy, some of it in the Middle East theater.
“When I worked in patrol, there was a major disconnect between the cops and Veterans,” he said. “If there was an arrest for domestic abuse, there was no path to get them mental health. The only recourse was an arrest and the court system.
“I’ve always felt we needed to do more for those who have sacrificed for our country, like providing follow-up services.”
Since mental health issues, substance abuse and often suicide can be by-products of many decades of service, some Veterans don’t know where to turn to.
“Many veterans don’t know which benefits they even qualify for,” said Rick Rodriguez, an Army Veteran and the VICTOR chairman. “In Osceola County, the end up going to our local mental health facility (Park Place) first, when they should start out at the V.A. Hospital (in the Medical City area of Lake Nona in Orange County).
The board also includes Dr. LeWayne Johnson (35 years in the Army, including a Gulf War first responder), William Mangan (Navy), Rosemarie Morales (Army), Armando Perez (Marines), Nick Amen (Marines) and Gary Spear (Army). Each is volunteering their time to be on the board.
Part of their responsibilities include reviewing agency reports on how calls involving Veterans are handled, and setting up fundraisers or seeking donations to assist other Veterans in need; the Sheriff ’s Office said it has a 501©3 charity it can work through. The board will also have a hand in OCSO’s Veteran’s Appreciation Day on Nov. 11 (Veteran’s Day), such as choosing a keynote speaker.
Rodriguez said he’d been working closely with Lopez since after his 2020 election to set up VICTOR; it’s taken these months to get enough community members to form the board.
VICTOR is scheduled to meet monthly — the next meeting is set for April 26 at 4 p.m. For information go to www.osceolasheriff.org/victor-board or call 407-348-2222.
