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Glenn Bergmann of Bergmann & Moore assists a Veteran during the law firm's Veterans Benefit Workshop in San Juan in June.

It is no secret that some Veteran communities are better served by the Department of Veterans Affairs than others.  Look no further than the high rate of homeless Veterans in Los Angeles, or the severe backlog in VA Regional Offices in Detroit or Cleveland.

Unfortunately, the Veteran community in Puerto Rico is also consistently underserved. In fact, a 2009 study by the VA Office of Inspector General found that the San Juan RO only had a 60 percent accuracy rate for rating decisions – this is the lowest rate in the nation.

That’s why Bergmann & Moore has made Puerto Rico an important part of our strategy to help Veterans obtain the benefits they deserve.

Several times a year, we travel to Puerto Rico and hold Veterans Benefits Workshops – comprehensive events where Veterans can receive free legal advice about their VA claim.

We also partner with organizations like the Department of Labor, the Department of Agriculture, and Caribbean Women Veterans to help Veterans find jobs, forge meaningful relationships, and collect the benefits they’ve earned through their years of service.

For Bergmann & Moore staffers, the workshops are a chance to meet many of the Veterans we speak with every day (and spend some time in beautiful Puerto Rico).

Our upcoming workshops in San Juan and Ponce continue our mission of fighting for Veterans.  The event is catching some attention in Puerto Rico as well.  Check out Ponce’s edition of La Perla del Sur today for information about the event or contact Bergmann & Moore at 877-367-5310 or via email at info@vetlawyers.com.

For more information or to register for the conference, go to: http://www.nationalveteransconference.com/welcome.

What started as a private gesture was recently announced by the team to the public and it all started because of a superstition. The first time that he used the suite, he did not play well, so he does not use it for his friends and family when he starts during games. But Justin Verlander also has personal reasons for honoring Veterans, as his cousin is currently deployed in Afghanistan and his grandfather fought in WWII.

Veterans are recommended by the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit and the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare system. The suite can hold up to 18 people, which can fit about 3 Veterans and their families.

For More information, visit: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110516&content_id=19139242&notebook_id=19144740&vkey=notebook_det&c_id=det.

For more information, please see: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/05/09/prweb8386607.DTL.

Soldiers “stand down” to rest and recuperate during a war. For some veterans, the “war” after they’ve been in the service is about being homeless, and looking for food, shelter and medical care. Thousands have found it at the annual Veterans Stand Down that is put together by volunteers.

The nonprofit 2010 Southeastern Michigan Veterans Stand Down, Inc. will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 13-14 at the Detroit Belle Isle Casino. Volunteer registration is at 8 a.m., and veterans may register until 1 p.m.

Homeless vets take buses — or walk — to Stand Down for a day of free services. They can get food, haircuts and clothing. They can be screened for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and hepatitis C, and get eye and dental checkups. They learn about VA and other government benefits, get photo IDs, and receive substance abuse and mental health counseling. There are services in legal, employment, housing and spiritual matters.

Groups and individuals help by donating personal hygiene items, clothing for men and women, snacks and coffee, paper products, and by making tax-deductible donations.

Setup is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 12. Volunteers and agency representatives can register at www.4vets.org.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B1BOc4-0RE