(WASHINGTON, DC) – The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday evening that included funding requested by Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (Fifth District – Missouri) and Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District – Kansas) to improve the coordination of services for veterans in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area.

H.R. 2829, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008, includes $231,000 in funding for the pilot project, “Vet Link -- Providing the Right Services to Veterans at the Right Time,” which will identify and organize community resources into an easy-to-use online database, simplifying the process of linking veterans to the resources they need.

"Both Congressman Moore and I take great pride in being close with the veterans in our community. They have done so much for our nation, while in the service and after they came home. It has been a huge frustration of mine since coming to Congress that the needs of these men and women who have given so much have been ignored," said Congressman Cleaver. “Vet Link, combined with the billions of additional funding we worked to pass last week for our veterans, gets us closer to fulfilling our promise to care for the men and women who risked their lives for our freedom. Vet Link will help match veterans with much needed care."

An abundance of service providers exist to ensure a smooth transition for veterans from active military service to civilian life and to help restore the capability of veterans with disabilities. This abundance, however, can seem overwhelming and confusing for veterans. In addition, service providers struggle to find the best method for identifying veterans and providing prompt and seamless service to them. The concept for this new program grew out of a discussion among members of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Armed Services Committee.

By creating community collaboration, the “Vet Link” network can improve the quality of veterans’ lives and that of their families by providing easy access to needed services, such as health care, business development, cemetery services and more. The pilot project, which will be administered by the Bloch School at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, through KCSourcelink, could eventually expand to communities across the country to create a nationwide network of veterans’ services.

“We applaud the work of Congressmen Cleaver and Moore in creating programs to support our deserving veterans. We look forward to working with the community to create VetLink to help veterans and their families easily find the resources that they need,” said Maria Meyers, Managing Director, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at UMKC.

"It’s not surprising that folks don’t often know where to turn for help when they need it," Congressman Moore said. "Too often they’re confused about whom to call or may not even know that help is available. Creating this pilot project will certainly help the veterans in our area, and could end up improving the quality of services for veterans nationwide. That’s an investment we can all be proud of."

H.R. 2829, which was approved in the House by a vote of 240 to 179, now moves to the Senate for approval.