A new Veterans Affairs facility in Orange, Connecticut, opened Friday to help former military personnel who have drug addiction, mental health issues and thoughts of suicide, despite minor delays during the pandemic.
It’s an expansion of the West Haven Veterans Affairs facility.
U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut says the new facility will help many veterans tackle a different type of epidemic.
“Even during this period of the pandemic, when we are losing 17 veterans, that’s the average, every day, to coronavirus, we continue to lose 20 veterans a day to suicide,” Blumenthal said.
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony and says this facility will give veterans who return home a “second chance in life.”