LACEY – Amid community concerns, township officials have confirmed that a new location has been secured for the non-profit Vetwork, whose headquarters is being sold.
Veronica Laureigh, Business Administrator/Municipal Clerk, said that the township intends to make space for Vetwork in the building occupied by the Lacey Food Bank located at 102 Station Drive in Forked River.
“We met with Bernie Snyder (Vetwork Board of Directors member) and one of the other veteran members last week,” said Laureigh. “We brought them to the Food Bank and showed them how there was enough space for each association to have their own private spot.”
Multiple groups have previously shared the Food Bank location, including the Lacey Municipal Utilities Authority and the Lacey School Board.
Vetwork Executive Director Tom Kiselow is a US Marine Corps veteran. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
The local public works department will take on remodeling the building with plans to make it available for Vetwork to move in by January or sooner. The work includes the erection of a doorway to separate the two groups.
“They will each have their own HVAC system and bathroom,” added Laureigh. “Vetwork will also have enough space for a private office to interview clients.”
Snyder confirmed that he had personally toured the food bank site and said that the proposed renovations would help meet the non-profit organization’s needs.
“We’re very happy that Lacey Township was able to find a spot for us,” said Vetwork Executive Director Tom Kiselow, a US Marine Corps veteran. “So, we can continue our mission to help our local veterans.”
The revelation of a new headquarters for Vetwork follows an emotional exchange at a September 14 Township Committee meeting when Snyder and others expressed their concerns about the township selling their current building for further development.
Vetwork currently occupies space at 103 North Main Street, which Snyder identified as the historic Worden House. He said the original owners built the home in 1863 and had two sons who fought in the Civil War, one of whom was killed. Snyder expressed his disappointment that the organization would lose its headquarters from a building with “a lot of attachment to the veteran family.”
This building will host Vetwork as well as the Lacey Township Food Bank. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“You’ve spread the word that we’re just kicking you out on the road,” said Committeewoman PeggySue Juliano to Snyder during his public comments at the meeting. “I’ve been talking to you for close to a year in reference to the fact that we were going to sell the property, and we have to start looking for a place for you.”
Juliano said that she was hurt by the fact that the governing body had been “literally ripped apart” after the town had taken care of providing Vetwork with a home for 32 years.
Committeeman Peter Curatolo, who acted as the liaison to Vetwork for a decade, accused Snyder of making critical comments about the Township Committee on social media. Curatolo emphasized that, in his view, the township has invested over $600,000 in supporting the veteran organization over the past 35 years. He arrived at this estimation by calculating a monthly rental rate of $1,500 for a period of 420 months.
Bernie Snyder, a Vetwork board member, spoke on behalf of the group at a recent Township Committee Meeting. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“When I asked the mayor at the last meeting where you were going to put us, he said he didn’t know,” Snyder replied. “You’re acting like it’s a secret – why won’t you tell me even now where you’re going to put us?”
During the somewhat heated exchange, Juliano said that complete commitments had not been made for the relocation at that point. She promised she would relay the information to the organization within ten days. Less than a week later, Snyder was invited to see the proposed space in the Lacey Food Bank building.
Juliano reaffirmed at the meeting that the township’s commitment to Vetwork remains unchanged, and that Vetwork will continue to receive space free of charge.
What Vetwork Does
As concerns about Vetwork’s relocation were raised, two rows of veterans filled the front of the meeting room – with more scattered throughout the crowd. Public commentary included a number of testimonials praising the non-profit organization’s work.
An emotional Lynn Hering said she came to support Vetwork as a Gold Star family member and as a local resident. Hering volunteers her time to assist the group as a driver.
“I’m driving veterans to their medical appointments when they can’t go up to the East Orange facility or Lyons or other facilities,” shared Hering. “That work provides a service to them. You can’t imagine how grateful all these families are. The spouse of the veteran brings their spouse, and we ride up together.”
Committeewoman PeggySue Juliano said she had been working with Vetwork for almost a year to get a new location. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Snyder praised Hering for making the nearly 200-mile round trip to take a veteran and his wife to the Lyons Veterans Hospital that same day and shared other ways that Vetwork has helped the couple.
“The husband has Alzheimer’s real bad and went down really fast,” Snyder said. “They were going to lose their house.”
As the veteran’s condition worsened, his wife began exploring nursing home care, but learned that all of their assets would need to be transferred. Vetwork intervened, with Snyder personally working with a woman at the veteran’s office in Toms River to resolve the issue. In the end, the veteran was found to be 100% disabled and assigned a bed at the nursing home at Lyons at no cost.
Vetwork plays a vital role in the Ocean County community, providing essential services to veterans and their families. This year, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners awarded $186,000 to Vetwork to supplement their work.
The organization helps veterans to access essential services, such as food, housing, and healthcare. Vetwork also provides counseling and support services to veterans who are struggling with PTSD, addiction, and other challenges.
Vetwork maintains a food pantry that provides free food to veterans in need. The organization also works to ensure that all veterans have a roof over their heads. In some cases, Vetwork serves as an intermediary with the government to secure services for veterans who are having difficulty accessing them.
These rosary beads were a gift from a homeless veteran. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
Earlier this year, Vetwork partnered with the Lacey United Methodist Church to provide transitional housing to veterans in need. Once a Catholic rectory, the four-bedroom home is now filled to capacity.
The transitional housing program provides veterans with a safe and supportive place to live as they work to get back on their feet. Veterans in the program have access to all Vetwork services.
Those who give their time to work for Vetwork find their greatest reward comes in knowing they helped someone willing to sacrifice their lives for their country. Over the years, Snyder has come away with a sense that his help made a difference.
“There was the time a vet came in and was on their way to see their congressman,” shared Snyder. “He was going to set up his tent behind the power plant.”
Snyder said the organization helped with some food and that he invited him back to his home for Thanksgiving dinner. A retired Lacey police officer, Snyder also made arrangements with the local department to give him one of the stolen bikes that had never been retrieved. They also added a rack to make carrying his backpack and tent easier.
Vetwork also runs transitional housing in partnership with the United Methodist Church. (Photo by Stephanie Faughnan)
“A week later, I was down at Vetwork, and there was a little gift bag there,” Snyder said. “The vet got the local jeweler to give him a little gift bag with tissue paper. Inside, he’d taken a piece of parachute cord and made a set of rosary beads.”
To this day, Snyder treasures those rosary beads as a symbol of the resilience and strength of the veterans Vetwork serves.
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