The Chester County Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the launch of a Peer Ambassador Program to engage veterans and educate them about the benefits and resources they are entitled to receive. The Peer Ambassador Program grew out of Innovate Chester County. This initiative invited Chester County residents to explore solutions and make recommendations on some of the biggest challenges facing county government.

In addition to veterans' services, Innovate Chester County also addressed affordable housing, public transportation, children's mental health, and agriculture.

Three Peer Ambassadors have been selected to pilot the program and will join the Department of Veterans Affairs at outreach events across Chester County. They will engage veterans in one-on-one and small-group conversations around seeking support for mental health, housing, addiction, employment, and other critical needs.

The ambassadors include Eric Stetson, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who served in active duty from 1991 to 2015; Vincent Perez, who serves on the Board of Directors of the Delaware County Veterans Memorial Association and is an elected member of the Delaware County Veterans Advisory Council; and Sarah Mears, a military spouse and a military family readiness specialist with the Delaware Army National Guard.

To learn more about the Peer Ambassador Program, go to http://www.chesco.org/5963/Veterans-Affairs-Ambassadors.