Today, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) in San Antonio, The Walmart Foundation and San Antonio-area health and human service providers celebrate two years’ of performance in the community’s TXServes San Antonio collective impact initiative. The occasion is being marked with a partnership meeting at AACOG in San Antonio.

Since launching in June 2017, the TXServes San Antonio network has grown to almost 90 vetted public and nonprofit providers offering veterans, service members and military family members across San Antonio’s eight-counties with access to comprehensive services and resources including housing, employment and household goods. To date, more than 4,500 requests for services from nearly 2,500 clients have been answered with the support of a web-based technology platform from Unite Us.

“The San Antonio area is home to more than 230,000 veterans and military-connected individuals,” says Maureen Casey, Chief Operating Officer of Syracuse University’s IVMF. “The opportunity to serve those who have served in this region is rich. We are humbled to be part of the effort and proud of what we have accomplished with our partners in just two years. We are excited to see the network grow and provide these valuable services to many more members of ‘Military City USA.’”

All individuals who have served in the military, to include active duty, National Guard, Reserve service members, as well as veterans and their families who reside in San Antonio and the surrounding areas regardless of age, era, branch or discharge status are eligible for support from the coordination center.

San Antonio was the first of three interconnected networks across Texas; networks were subsequently launched in North Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Together, these operations identify and work to fill gaps in the availability of services across the state. All three networks are part of AmericaServes – a series of coordinated networks of integrated services in 12 other states designed to transform the way veterans and their families access and navigate care and resources in their communities. AmericaServes is one of several free programs offered by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University to advance the post-service lives of American veterans and military families.

In 2019, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s Committee to support the military published a report with a number of recommendations for policy changes and legislative action to improve upon education, health care, quality of life, workforce development, encroachment, and infrastructure as they relate to the military community of Texas. Among the key recommendations for connecting veterans and active duty personnel to services, the Governor supported the TXServes model:

“TXServes should be expanded in communities across the state to achieve as much coverage as possible utilizing their web-based case management system. Such a system would help make Texas a national model for service delivery to our military members, military families, and veterans.”