Evesham Township Council recently approved a reorganization of the township’s municipal government, through which the township expanded its former department of Public Affairs and Senior Services to also encompass services for the township’s veteran and disabled populations.
Now council wishes to support those populations even further by involving members of the public and members of organizations who are most familiar with the issues affecting veterans and persons with disabilities.
As such, council used its most recent meeting to create the Evesham Township Disability And Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee.
According to the ordinance establishing the committee, it will assist the township’s director of community affairs in identifying programmatic opportunities for the township to serve veterans and persons with disabilities.
Also listed by the ordinance, the committee will help the township find a “full range” of the services – public and private – that are needed for the township’s veteran and disabled populations to “independently live and thrive” within the Evesham community.
As such, the ordinance notes the committee will meet at least eight times per year and the membership of the committee shall consist of 14 members appointed by the mayor from the following categories:
- The director of community affairs or his or her designee
- Two members who are residents and experience disabilities
- Two members who are residents and are veterans
- Two members who are residents and are caregivers to persons with a disability or veteran
- Two members who are officers or employees of a public or private service provider organization that provides services to disabled persons or veterans and who do not need to themselves be residents of Evesham Township
- Two members who are health-care practitioners and provide services to disabled persons or veterans and who do not need to themselves be residents of Evesham Township
- One member who is an officer or employee of an advocacy group supporting issues involving individuals with disabilities who need not be a resident of Evesham Township
- One member who is an officer or employee of an advocacy group supporting issues involving veterans who need not be a resident of Evesham Township
- One member of Evesham Township Council
“It’s a very detailed committee that we’re hoping to bring together different members of the community in order to come up with some very good programs that we can put under our new department,” Mayor Jaclyn Veasy said.
To that point, Veasy asked interested members of the public to look through the positions afforded by the committee and apply to join the committee if interested.
Veasy said council would also be reaching out to several members of the public as well, although no names were publically stated at council’s most recent meeting.
Similar to those interested in serving on other authorities, boards or commissions outlined under Evesham’s municipal government, those interested in serving on the Disability And Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee can download a Citizen Leadership Application from the township’s website in the “Forms” tab under the sections for the Clerk’s Office at www.evesham-nj.org.
In addition to contact information, the form will allow applicants to list any education, prior volunteer experience, work-related experience or other civic involvement that could be of use to the Disability And Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee.
