The Ole Miss Veterans and Military Services building was officially unveiled at the recently renovated George Street House last week. The building will now also house the Veterans Resource Center.
Veterans and Military Services’ move to the George Street House from the third floor of Martindale was meant to increase accessibility to students, according to a press release. Additionally, the Veterans Resource Center’s move from the basement of Yerby Hall is expected to cut down on a walking commute from the two buildings, which used to be 10 minutes.
The services of the office of military services vary widely, from assistance with GI Bills to Veterans Assistant insurance. According to Andrew Newby, the assistant director of veteran’s services, the Martindale office was too small for the number of students utilizing it.
With the limited space and reduced resources in their separate Martindale and Yerby hall offices, Newby felt the move would be a “great improvement.”
“(This) would bring the university at least on par with the Southeastern Conference,” Newby said.
The Veterans Military Services and Veterans Resource Center also has developed a new connection with Grove Grocery, the university’s food bank, and will now serve as a satellite hub for all students. Newby said the services will focus on grab-and-go food items and serve as a beacon to combat food insecurity, since the new location is in the heart of campus.
The building also houses a full kitchen for its Grove Grocery services, provided by a Home Depot grant. Newby said in a press release that the rest of the money for the renovations came from the sale of special “Welcome Home” vanity license plates organized through the Student Veterans Association,
With this new location next to the library and the combining of two offices, Newby said he hopes that the renovation and new location will become a “one-stop-shop in the heart of campus (that) allows student veterans to fully succeed on campus.”
Many student veterans are thankful for the new convenient location, as well as a place of reprieve and community for students in similar situations. Angela Roberts, a Marine veteran and biology major from Dallas, said in a press release that this move was crucial to advisors and fellow students understanding the individual situations military-connected students may face.
“When you leave the military, you don’t always know how to start the process,” she said. “You’re trying to integrate into society, trying to be a civilian and have to shift your mindset.”
Roberts said these services have helped her tremendously when it came to adjusting civilian life, and she is thankful for the new renovations and move.
